The First Minister of the Chagossian Government-in-exile has issued a rallying cry to supporters in the face of Sir Keir Starmer overseeing total chaos over pausing the controversial deal.
Today, Labour denied pressing pause on the “surrender” of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after Nigel Farage suggested the Maldives was set to launch a counter-claim over the atoll.
The denial follows the shocking disintegration of support for the bill, which led the legislation to spin out of control once Donald Trump reversed his policy on the surrender of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Today, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told MPs following interventions from the United States the Government was “now discussing those concerns with the United States directly”.
Mr Falconer added: “We have a process going through Parliament in relation to the treaty. We will bring that back to Parliament at the appropriate time.
“We are pausing for discussions with our American counterparts.”
Meanwhile, a senior Government source claimed Mr Falconer “misspoke” when he suggested a pause in the deal.
A Government spokesman said: “There is no pause. We have never set a deadline. Timings will be announced in the usual way. We are continuing discussions with the US, and we have been clear we will not proceed without their support.”
Nigel Farage issued an emergency question during Prime Minister’s Questions today
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PA
Last month, the Prime Minister was cornered into pulling his Chagos Island Bill after Mr Trump declared the bill to be “an act of great stupidity” before being debated in the House of Lords.
The minister added Washington had backed the treaty between the UK and Mauritius when it was signed last year, but said: “There clearly has been a statement from the President of the United States more recently, which is very significant”.
Last week, more chaos was stirred up by a four-strong team of Chagossians landing on deserted island Ile du Coin, part of the Peros Banhos coral atoll, last Tuesday.
The group was led by Misley Mandarin, the archipelago’s First Minister, who joined the People’s Channel this evening to issue a heartfelt cry to fellow Chagossians.
LABOUR’S CHAGOS ‘SURRENDER’ – READ THE LATEST:
‘Until this treaty is put in the bin we have to be very careful and keep fighting,’ Misley Mandarin told GB News
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GETTY/GB NEWS
He told GB News: “I can’t trust this Labour Government! Until this treaty is put in the bin we have to be very careful and keep fighitng to save the Chagos and keep the Chagos British.
“We have supplies. We’re here. I’m up. I’m fighting for my country. I’m fighting for my country to stay British,” he declared.
He continued: “I’m staying put. There’s no reason. We are 130 miles away from from the [Diego Garcia military base].
“And we posed no threat to the base. We come to our homeland and we want to remove us.
“So they’re going to have to drag me. And even if you have to run me into the jungle.”
Earlier today, Nigel Farage issued an emergency question to the House of Commons on the matter.
“I wish to inform the Government that we are just a few days away, in my opinion, from the Maldives issuing a counterclaim to the International Court of Justice to say if anybody has the right to the sovereignty of those islands, it is the Maldives and not Mauritius,” the Reform leader told MPs.
“I would urge you to pause all of this.”