American B2 bombers are flying into Diego Garcia in the Chagos island group in case they are needed against Iran and her proxies attacking shipping in the Middle East. This should remind you how important this base is to our defence and security.
The UK gives use of the main Chagos island to the US navy as a joint base in a crucial strategic location. The other islands in the group are uninhabited. This avoids the base being a nuisance to neighbours and protects the military establishment from spies and unwelcome visitors. More than 1000 miles away from Mauritius surrounded by ocean is a good place for a base handling a powerful navy and Airforce.
The US would prefer the UK to keep the freehold we currently own. That way the US can rely on continuing use, with an ally that understands US military needs and wishes to facilitate them.
So why is the PM winding up the State Department and Pentagon with the threat of giving the islands to Mauritius? Mauritius is a friend of China and an anti nuclear power. Diego Garcia is a base capable of handling nuclear propelled and armed ships.
Keir Starmer has a chance to enact a popular policy and save the Chagos Islands - Sir John Redwood
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The PM wrongly thinks the UK could lose a case in the International Court of Justice over giving the islands to Mauritius, a faraway country that never owned or settled these islands. If he read our Treaty commitments to the Court he would see it cannot make binding judgements on Commonwealth matters, and should not interfere with our defence arrangements.
The government says negotiations started under the last government and this proves there was a need to accommodate Mauritius. They fail to report that when David Cameron took over as Foreign Secretary he reviewed it and called a halt to negotiations. No Minister in the last government ever approved giving the islands away.
Worse still than seeking to agree to give them away the government has apparently offered a dowry of many billions of our tax money as part of the Agreement. It is so embarrassing an amount that no Minister will tell Parliament how much. Why does Mauritius take priority over pensioner fuel allowances or benefits for the disabled?
We are not told if Mauritius is free to colonise the other islands near the naval base. We are not told if Mauritius could place restrictions on nuclear activity or other uses of the base. We are not told if Mauritius could sell off an island or two as China might like to buy one.
Owning freeholds is best as it leaves you in control. Leasing back something you shouldn't have given away leaves you vulnerable to a bad deal being made worse.
This is no time to weaken our joint hold with the US on a crucial air base.
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Most voters think it mad to give away something we own and we still need, and even madder to give the lucky inheritor piles of cash indexed to inflation for the next 99 years so we can lease it back.
Most people agree the world is a less safe place. The US is the dominant military force to defend the democracies and freedoms the West values. The government wants to help strengthen NATO and improve US/European relations at a time when the US thinks it has to shoulder too much of the joint defence burden. This is no time to weaken our joint hold on a crucial base.
At home taxpayers and businesses reeling from a blizzard of tax rises will not understand why we need to give money to Mauritius. People who are losing benefits will find this a warped spending priority. Pandering to international lawyers making money out of fomenting disagreements like this is a waste of time when the Court they talk about cannot require us to give these islands away.
So, Prime Minister, I bring you a popular policy. Please the pensioners, the disabled and the businesses facing cuts and tax rises. Please our US ally. Show you are putting the national interest first. Save the Chagos by keeping them safe in our hands.
