A Labour Minister was challenged over claims Sir Keir Starmer is “undermining” his own defence of Greenland, given he handed over the Chagos Islands without the approval of Chagossians.
Sir Keir insisted Donald Trump’s decison to slap 10 per cent tariffs on the UK and other European nations over the matter was “completely wrong”.
He further reiterated the fate of Greenland should be determined by the nation’s people.
The President announced the levies would apply from February 1 in a Truth Social post issuing a word of warning to the likes of the UK, France, Germany and Norway after they deployed troops for a military exercise on the island.
But Camilla claimed his argument was inconsistent with his readiness to hand over the Chagos Island to Mauritius.
Camilla asked: “Hasn’t the Prime Minister and indeed, the Labour Government, slightly undermined their own argument when it comes to the self-determination of Greenlanders and indeed the Danes?
“Because you gave away the Chagos Islands? I mean, you didn’t make that argument for Chagossians, so why should anyone believe it when the Prime Minister claims he wants to protect Greenlanders?”
Hitting back, Ms Nandy told GB News’ Camilla Tominey: “What we did in the Chagos Islands was actually, in fairness, a continuation of what the previous Conservative Government had been trying to do.
Lisa Nandy spoke with Camilla Tominey on GB News this morning
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GB NEWS
“But they not been able to manage [it] with the Americans, which was to make sure that we cut a deal that enabled us to secure the future of the Chagos Islands as a strategic base and to ensure that our security is protected.
“That, in the end, is what lies behind all of the decisions that we make as a Government is what is in the interests of the British people.”
She continued: “We do not think it is for a moment, in the interests of the British people, to allow a principle to be established where the future of a sovereign country is determined by the the American administration or anybody else.
“We do think it’s in our collective interest to work together to do as the Foreign Secretary was doing just this week over in Norway, increasing our presence there, making sure that we’re doubling the number of Marines in the region and working with the Americans, with the Canadians, and with our European counterparts to make sure that we deal with the threat of Russian aggression there.”
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