The Leader of the SDP, William Clouston, has roundly condemned the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary over their humiliating surrender of British sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, the harm to our national security interests and the pledging of billions of pounds to another state as part of this capitulation.
Furthermore, Clouston pledges that a future SDP government would launch a public inquiry into the actions of the government with a view, if necessary, of initiating a subsequent criminal investigation.
He calls on the leaders of all other political parties to make the same pledge.
Clouston said:
“I am appalled by the government’s unseemly and humiliating desperation to shed sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, formally known as the British Indian Ocean Territory.
“These 1,000 islands, far from being insignificant dots on the map, have been British sovereign territory, and their people British subjects, for over two hundred years. They include 240,000 square miles of Exclusive Economic Zone waters, marine protected areas and are home to a strategic military base which enables both the United Kingdom and the United States to maintain the security of the Indian Ocean region and numerous international shipping lanes.
“Yet, the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary aren’t trying to sell the islands, nor even to give them away. Unbelievably, they’re offering a reported £18 billion of UK taxpayers’ money – your money – to Mauritius to receive the territory from Britain.
“Does the Prime Minister really expect the British people to believe that their national interests are best served by paying Mauritius UK taxpayers’ money to adopt sovereignty over a British territory, subjects and strategic military assets? As I said in my recent speech to the Durham Union – giving away the Chagos Islands and paying for the privilege is one of the most disgraceful things that has happened in British policy for decades. It’s absolutely outrageous.
LINK: https://x.com/WilliamClouston/status/1886919823667442046
“We in the SDP have very serious concerns about this entire degrading debacle, but even greater concerns that it send a dangerous signal to the rest of the world that Britain will no longer protect its other territories and interests abroad.”
“For that reason, I pledge that a future SDP government would move to ensure the world understands that the United Kingdom will protect its territories and interests, and will launch a public inquiry into the whole sorry affair of the Chagos Islands negotiations with a view, if necessary, of initiating a subsequent criminal investigations. I call on other party leaders to make the same pledge.”
NOTE:
The SDP notes that the International Court of Justice and UN General Assembly votes to demand the UK relinquish sovereignty are non binding. Both relied largely on the right to self-determination, a matter easily addressed if the government were to engage with the Chagossian people who are British subjects and wish to remain so. Foreign Office ministers have repeatedly claimed the Chagossians have been consulted throughout. This has been denied by the Chagossians themselves.
