Broadcaster Mike Parry has lashed out at Britain and Mauritius’ last-ditch attempt to finalise a deal over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The president-elect is said to be sceptical about Labour’s plan, sparking fears that his elevation to power could throw it into doubt.
British officials say “good progress” is being made with a crucial round of talks scheduled ahead of Trump taking office on January 20.
Speaking on GB News, Parry branded Labour’s efforts an “absolute scandal” as he lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“It’s an absolute outrage. An absolute scandal”, he said.
“We’re paying them seven years in advance which is about half the money they’ve taken off the pensioners. It’s an absolute scandal.
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“Seven years worth of instalments, upfront worth about £630 million. This is outrageous. All apparently on the altar of decolonisation.
“Hang on, Mauritius never owned it, they don’t want it and we have to pay them to take it. What about the Chagossians? Why don’t we give it back to them?”
Ex-Labour MP Stephen Pound defended the Government, saying Britain has a “moral duty” to support the Chagossians.
“The British Government forcibly removed the Chagossians from their homeland”, he added.
Mauritius is expected to sign off a deal to take control of the Chagos Islands from Britain, with a special cabinet meeting scheduled for 6:30am GMT in Port Louis.
The agreement follows "productive discussions" in London this week, with Mauritian attorney general Gavin Glover telling reporters they "had not come empty-handed from London."
Media reports suggest the terms may have shifted from the original proposal, with the lease period for the strategic Diego Garcia military base potentially reduced from 99 to 50 years.
The UK government insists it will "only agree to a deal that's in our best interests" and would never compromise national security.
A joint statement from both countries confirmed "good progress" had been made during the London talks.
The deal could cost British taxpayers around £90 million annually, with reports suggesting the UK may frontload payments to secure Mauritius's agreement.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel questioned the secrecy around the deal, asking Foreign Secretary David Lammy: "If this is such a good deal, why's he so secretive about it?"
Lammy responded that "the White House, State Department and the Pentagon believe that this is a good deal – as does the Indian government."
Senior figures in Trump's incoming administration have expressed concerns the deal could weaken US influence in the Indian Ocean.
Find Out More...
The president-elect is said to be sceptical about Labour’s plan, sparking fears that his elevation to power could throw it into doubt.
British officials say “good progress” is being made with a crucial round of talks scheduled ahead of Trump taking office on January 20.
Speaking on GB News, Parry branded Labour’s efforts an “absolute scandal” as he lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“It’s an absolute outrage. An absolute scandal”, he said.
“We’re paying them seven years in advance which is about half the money they’ve taken off the pensioners. It’s an absolute scandal.
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“Seven years worth of instalments, upfront worth about £630 million. This is outrageous. All apparently on the altar of decolonisation.
“Hang on, Mauritius never owned it, they don’t want it and we have to pay them to take it. What about the Chagossians? Why don’t we give it back to them?”
Ex-Labour MP Stephen Pound defended the Government, saying Britain has a “moral duty” to support the Chagossians.
“The British Government forcibly removed the Chagossians from their homeland”, he added.
Mauritius is expected to sign off a deal to take control of the Chagos Islands from Britain, with a special cabinet meeting scheduled for 6:30am GMT in Port Louis.
The agreement follows "productive discussions" in London this week, with Mauritian attorney general Gavin Glover telling reporters they "had not come empty-handed from London."
Media reports suggest the terms may have shifted from the original proposal, with the lease period for the strategic Diego Garcia military base potentially reduced from 99 to 50 years.
The UK government insists it will "only agree to a deal that's in our best interests" and would never compromise national security.
A joint statement from both countries confirmed "good progress" had been made during the London talks.
The deal could cost British taxpayers around £90 million annually, with reports suggesting the UK may frontload payments to secure Mauritius's agreement.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel questioned the secrecy around the deal, asking Foreign Secretary David Lammy: "If this is such a good deal, why's he so secretive about it?"
Lammy responded that "the White House, State Department and the Pentagon believe that this is a good deal – as does the Indian government."
Senior figures in Trump's incoming administration have expressed concerns the deal could weaken US influence in the Indian Ocean.
Find Out More...