Nigel Farage has hit back at Kemi Badenoch over his “offer to give the Chagos Islands” to Donald Trump in exchange for his silence on the Falklands.
The Tory leader criticised the Reform UK leader after his “humiliating” comments, saying the hypothetical deal was “careless, loose talk” from the MP.
Mrs Badenoch appeared to indicate that Mr Farage wanted to give up the archipelago entirely. She said: “Giving away British territory in return for someone keeping quiet is not a deal. It is humiliating.”
However, Reform spokesman further clarified that the Trump ally was “talking about the Americans using Diego Garcia in perpetuity and not the Chagos Islands as a whole”.
And, after the row bubbled overnight, the Reform UK leader said: “Kemi is lying again. She just can’t help herself.”
The White House also backed up the populist leader, saying that “at no point did anyone in the administration construe Nigel’s comments as suggesting that he was giving away the Chagos”
A spokesman added: “He was obviously referring to the use of the Diego Garcia military base, which is critical to countering threats from China and Iran.
“Anyone claiming otherwise is peddling fake news and undermining the Anglo-American relationship, including, apparently, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.”
FOLLOW ALONG BELOW FOR UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…