Conservatives will attempt to block Chagos deal over China spying fears Business Conservative MPs will launch a last-ditch attempt to block the Chagos Islands deal next week due to fears it will be used by China to spy on the UK. First reported in the Telegraph, the Tories plan to force a vote in Parliament over whether to effectively end the deal by holding up payments to [...]
‘Chagos chaos’ continues as deal is put ‘on hold’ Politics The government has put the much-contested Chagos islands deal ‘on hold’ after outcry from Labour backbenchers. The deal would see sovereignty over the Chagos islands returned to Mauritius, but with the UK and US paying to continue military operations on the islands. The transfer is reported to cost the UK £9bn. While President Trump has [...]
Trump-Starmer: UK may dodge tariffs as work to begin on new US trade deal Politics The UK could be set to dodge US tariffs with work to begin on a new US-UK trade deal, it was revealed during Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to US President Donald Trump. The Prime Minister flew to the States yesterday for a highly anticipated first meeting with President Trump since he reentered the White House [...]
Trump-Starmer meeting: Five things to look out for February 27, 2025 Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet Donald Trump this evening for the first time since the US President re-entered the White House in January. Thanks to the US-UK so-called ‘special relationship’, meetings between the two nations’ leaders always have resonance. But amid the current international context, including Trump’s own comments about Russia’s [...]
PMQs: Starmer won’t confirm if Chagos deal money included in defence rise February 26, 2025 Keir Starmer has declined to confirm whether money spent on the Chagos Islands deal will be included in the rise in defence spending. The UK is in talks with Mauritius about handing over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory but leasing back the strategic Diego Garcia military base, which the US uses. The Prime [...]
Britain’s overseas territories are an asset, not an anachronism February 26, 2025 Far from historical oddities, Britain’s crown dependencies and overseas territories make an important contribution to the United Kingdom – and Brexit provides an opportunity to unleash even more of their potential, says James Price Hopefully you have by now become aware of Labour’s abject attempts to give away the Chagos Islands, along with billions and [...]
No10: Starmer had ‘very good early engagement’ with President Trump January 27, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has had “very good early engagement” with Donald Trump, Downing Street has said, after the leaders spoke for the first time since the US president’s inauguration. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman did not provide any updates on when Sir Keir might travel to Washington to meet the US president, or whether President [...]
Peers want to force Chagos Islands referendum to stop handover deal November 16, 2024 A group of Lords wants to force a referendum over the handover of the Chagos Islands, in a move that could delay the treaty from taking effect until after Donald Trump takes office. Lord Bellingham is leading a group of peers who plan to introduce an amendment to the treaty when it reaches the House [...]