Starmer Peddles Disinformation to Sell Chagos Surrender – Guido Fawkes

Starmer Peddles Disinformation to Sell Chagos Surrender

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Starmer’s press conference on the Chagos surrender was packed full of excuses for the handover. They don’t wash…

1. The ‘electromagnetic spectrum’ at Diego Garcia could be restricted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), “rendering it practically useless” “if “our right to control it is put into doubt.”
   • ITU does not engage in territorial disputes, and would not act against a crucial US base.
   • Labour has admitted: “The ITU cannot challenge the UK’s use of civilian or military spectrum.” It is not within its remit…
2. “If we did not agree this deal… we would not be able to prevent China or any other nation setting up their own bases on the outer islands or carrying out joint exercises near our base.”
   • If the UK did not agree the deal it would still have sovereignty over all of the islands and foreign powers’ attempts to set up bases would be repelled by the UK military.
   • China is allied to Mauritius, which now has sovereignty over the islands.
3. “In favour are all of our allies, the US, NATO, Five Eyes, India. Against it, Russia, China, Iran and, surprisingly, the leader of the opposition and Nigel Farage are in that column alongside Russia, China and Iran, rather than the column that has the UK and its allies in it.”
   • A Chinese former Chinese Communist Party official, while serving as the ICJ’s vice president, ruled that that the UK must give the islands to Mauritius “as rapidly as possible.“
   • A Russian international judge and Putin ally also pushed for the handover of the islands.
   • China and Russia voted in favour of a 2019 UNGA motion calling for “the decolonisation of Mauritius in accordance with the advisory opinion of the Court.“
   • A US judge was the only one to vote against the 2019 ICJ advisory ruling.
4. “The average £100 million per year is about the same, or slightly less than, the running cost of an aircraft carrier, minus the aircraft… measured against an aircraft carrier running costs that this is very good value for money.”
   • The UK can only currently afford two aircraft carriers. Fancy another? Sorry, that cash is for Mauritius now…
5. “International legal proceedings would have rendered the base inoperable.”
   • There is no evidence for this assertion.
6. “What’s the net cost today? And that is £3.4 billion. Obviously, over time with inflation, then that is the net cost.”
   • The net cost of the Chagos deal is £30.3 billion.
     • £165 million in a year for first three years plus £120 million a year for the next ten years, then £120 million with (say 2% average) inflation for the remainder.
     • £45 million per year development fund for 25 years, and a £40 million one-off payment to a fund for Chagossians.

Documents show that the UK will pay £495 million to Mauritius over the next three years in front-loaded cash for the deal. Taxes are going up at the next budget…