The UK Government's decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has sparked a furious reaction from GB News hosts Tom Harwood and Emily Carver - with Tom claiming that this is a "free hand" to Mauritius.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth released a joint statement describing the move as a "historic political agreement on the exercise of sovereignty" over the islands. The deal includes a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia and a financial support package for Mauritius.
GB News hosts Tom Harwood and Emily Carver expressed outrage over the decision.
Emily said: "Huge amount of anger. This decision that appeared to come out of nowhere."
Tom Harwood and Emily Carver have been left furious by the move
GB News
Tom added: "The strange thing is, this was a process that was started in 2022 under the last Government.
"But when David Cameron became Foreign Secretary, he spoke to people in the Ministry of Defence. He put a stop to the deal."
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Emily questioned the Government's priorities: "They've been in power three months now? This is seemingly quite close to the top of the agenda, the top of the priority list."
Emily fumed: "Is it not the Government's job to act in our best interests as British?
"I mean, you know, are we allowed to act in our national interest? I don't think we are. "
Tom said: "I mean, one of the most extraordinary things is this was announced when Parliament was not sitting because of the timing of the Mauritian elections.
Chagos Isands have been handed to Mauritius Flickr"We are prioritizing elections in Mauritius over our own parliament. And more than that, I mean, this is this is giving a free hand to the government of Mauritius."
Emily asked: "Is this a sign of our decline?"
Britain has controlled the Chagos Islands since 1814, following the defeat of Napoleon. In 1965, the UK detached the archipelago from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Emily Carver said "they are supposed to be protecting British interests"
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This move has been contested by Mauritius, which argued it was forced to give up the islands in exchange for independence in 1968.
In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion stating that Britain's continued administration of the Chagos Archipelago "constitutes a wrongful act".
The UN General Assembly also passed a non-binding resolution calling for Britain to relinquish control of the islands.