Starmer Refuses To Rule Out Signing Away British Overseas Territories

[naomi24]

Former Defence Secretary, Sir Alec Shelbrooke said 'There will certainly be concerns under an unpatriotic Labour who are embarrassed about our country' and ex-PM Boris Johnson, who called the Chagos deal 'crazy' said 'Why are we doing this?  Sheer political correctness, desire to look like the good guys, as if we're unbundling the last relics of our empire. It's nonsense'.

 

I'm sorry I can't post a link but several papers are reporting it.

 

Starmer is, in my opinion, a danger to this country and the sooner he goes the better.

[DDIL]

As I mentioned yesterday Truss started it not Cameron.

[naomi24]

No one said Cameron started it,  Cameron blocked it.

[DDIL]

Do you think that it take 90 days to get rid of a territory?

There will be a type of Tupe for the residents.

 

[DDIL]

Truss was after Cameron.

Are you being deliberately obtuse?

[naomi24]

Cameron was Foreign Secretary under Sunak - and Sunak followed Truss as PM.  Are you being deliberately awkward?

[DDIL]

Never awkward always questioning 

[Atheist]

Can anyone here explain why Chagos is so important for the safety of the UK?

[naomi24]

Atheist, I suggest you post that as a separate question.  This is about the likelihood or otherwise of this government ceding even more territory.

[naomi24]

I'm on my desktop now, so a link:

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/04/starmer-refuses-rule-out-signing-away-gibraltar-falklands/

[douglas9401]

Those Indian Ocean islands are also home to some exceedingly shrill birds.

[Atheist]

Thanks, Naomi.

BTW Your OP is not a question. Does that matter?

[New Judge]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/04/starmer-refuses-rule-out-signing-away-gibraltar-falklands/

(Press Escape as the page is loading o circumvent paywall)

[Clone]

When was he asked about the Falklands and Gibraltar and what was his response?

 

 

 

His response was 

"Waffle waffle waffle" and no answer to the question.  

[Atheist]

Naomi; if I post my question about Chagos, what category would you suggest?

[naomi24]

Atheist, Politics.

[naomi24]

Thanks NJ.

[naomi24]

Atheist, no it doesn't matter that the OP isn't a question. 

[Old_Geezer]

Clearly his word can not be trusted. We need to beef up military in all our areas where envious eyes from others are cast.

[New Judge]

"Can anyone here explain why Chagos is so important for the safety of the UK?"

Not my own work, but this should give you an idea:

Geostrategic Location: Situated in the central Indian Ocean, the Chagos Islands provide a valuable position for monitoring key shipping routes and ensuring maritime security. This location allows for the projection of military power and control over a wide region, including the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.

UK-US Military Base: The largest island, Diego Garcia, hosts a crucial joint military base for the UK and the US. It serves as a logistical, surveillance, and intelligence hub, playing a pivotal role in global military operations, particularly those in the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and beyond. Diego Garcia’s strategic importance is vital for both nations in maintaining regional stability and supporting global military operations.

It's a bit like Ascension Island in the Atlantic. It's in the middle of a large stretch of ocean, midway between a number of places, with little anywhere else in between to land an aircraft other than on an aircraft carrier. 

Diego Garcia may not have been required at all had the UK held on to its lease in Gan, around 250 miles north, in the southern Maldives. That country, like Mauritius, also gained independence from the UK in 1965 and as part of the independence deal the UK took a 100 year lease on RAF Gan. However, for reasons too complex to go into here, that lease was broken and RAF Gan was closed in 1976. 

The crucial difference was that Gan was always an integral part of the Maldives. The Chagos islands were never part of Mauritius; when independence was granted to Mauritius the Chagos islands were not part of that arrangement.

[Khandro]

He's not even got rid of Chagos yet,

Sir Keir Starmer will be forced to hold a vote on the Chagos Islands amid fury over his decision to hand them over to Mauritius.

The Government said on Thursday that the strategically important Indian Ocean archipelago would be transferred, after being in British hands since 1814.

The Prime Minister immediately came under fire over the move, which was announced during parliamentary recess without MPs getting a say in the Commons.

But The Telegraph understands that the handover will require an Act of Parliament, which will therefore need to be approved in the Commons.

Robert Jenrick, the frontrunner to become the next Tory leader, said the Conservative Party must display its “staunch opposition to the principle of the agreement”.

Also, dare I ask, 'Where is the King in all this?'