Election 2024

[brb]

Sir Keir Starmer has shelved his Chagos Islands deal amid worsening relations with Donald Trump after the US failed to formally confirm its approval.

Trump had urged Starmer to scrap the deal despite earlier expressing support for the treaty. In January the president called the plan an "act of total weakness".

UK government officials have said they are not entirely abandoning the agreement - which would hand sovereignty of the British territory to Mauritius - but have run out of time to pass legislation before Parliament is dissolved in the coming weeks.

However, a new Chagos bill is not expected to feature in the King's Speech in mid-May.
It is understood the UK has still not received a formal exchange of letters from the US - a legal necessity required for the treaty to be enacted.

The Chagos Islands - officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory - are located in the Indian Ocean and Britain has controlled them since the early 19th Century.

The deal would see the UK cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius, and pay an average cost of £101m ($136m) a year to lease back a joint UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.

A government spokesperson said: "Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US.

"Ensuring its long-term operational security is and will continue to be our priority - it is the entire reason for the deal.

"We continue to believe the agreement is the best way to protect the long-term future of the base, but we have always said we would only proceed with the deal if it has US support. We are continuing to engage with the US and Mauritius."

I haven't really followed this to any degree but if I'm understanding it correctly and it saves us giving away billions of pounds, then he's finally made the correct decision.

However, if you'd asked me to point the island out on a map, I'd probably need to get down the opticians first.

Now all I want to know is all those billions he's saved, will he give it to OUR military and if not, why not.

 

[Solid Air]

I haven't really followed this to any degree but if I'm understanding it correctly and it saves us giving away billions of pounds, then he's finally made the correct decision.

However, if you'd asked me to point the island out on a map, I'd probably need to get down the opticians first.

Now all I want to know is all those billions he's saved, will he give it to OUR military and if not, why not.

it's just on hold for now and it's £100m p.a. which is a drop in the ocean in military procurement terms and our MoD would probably waste it - see Ajax project for a prime example

 

[brb]

it's just on hold for now and it's £100m p.a. which is a drop in the ocean in military procurement terms and our MoD would probably waste it - see Ajax project for a prime example

All money on military is wasted but currently I keep hearing it's a necessity.

 

[Big Ern]

I would bet every penny I have that she’s being rutted regularly on the side by a bodyguard or something.

I thought I read she doesn’t live at the Whitehouse, either in NY or Florida, and only joins him for the public engagements such as the recent Easter egg hunt thingy?

The story I heard that she was going to leave him and she encouraged him to run for president so he'd be away a lot and she could bang the head of security.

 

[Gessa]

I haven't really followed this to any degree but if I'm understanding it correctly and it saves us giving away billions of pounds, then he's finally made the correct decision.

However, if you'd asked me to point the island out on a map, I'd probably need to get down the opticians first.

Now all I want to know is all those billions he's saved, will he give it to OUR military and if not, why not.

I don't think he made the decision, America not complying gave him no option atm

 

[FosseFilberto]

I haven't really followed this to any degree but if I'm understanding it correctly and it saves us giving away billions of pounds, then he's finally made the correct decision.

However, if you'd asked me to point the island out on a map, I'd probably need to get down the opticians first.

Now all I want to know is all those billions he's saved, will he give it to OUR military and if not, why not.

Not really paid that much attention to it either, partly because it seems to be a bit of political red herring - something to be outraged about by offended patriots - who were previously unaware of its existence, but are now incensed that we would actually consider handing it over to the people that actually live there...

So ... a bit more background - we 'bought it' from Mauritius back in 1965 for £3 million (would be equivalent of circa £74 million today) - how much of that went to native Chagosians, who knows ... but quite likely, **** all ...

The idea was to establish a military base there and this has existed ever since - jointly with the US, but the place is 'ours'. Described as 'strategically vital' - (presumably to the US rather than us) given geography - from a military perspective.

Anyway - the native Chagosians want their island back apparently - why we need to pay them something to do so is baffling (to me) - reparations of some kind? ... but I do understand that, if it's then theirs, we should pay them rent for a continuing military base there going forward I.e. if it's a requirement for us to continue having a military presence there.

My own view is that if the legality of the initial acquisition is now viewed as 'compromised' e.g. because the actual wishes of the islanders was ignored etc - or even if it is now seen as morally the right thing to do - we should just hand it over and **** off. If the Yanks insist they need a base there, let them pay rent to the Chagosians.

Simples.

Happy to be convinced otherwise...

Expecting Solid shortly

 

[brb]

Not really paid that much attention to it either, partly because it seems to be a bit of political red herring - something to be outraged about by offended patriots - who were previously unaware of its existence, but are now incensed that we would actually consider handing it over to the people that actually live there...

So ... a bit more background - we 'bought it' from Mauritius back in 1965 for £3 million (would be equivalent of circa £74 million today) - how much of that went to native Chagosians, who knows ... but quite likely, **** all ...

The idea was to establish a military base there and this has existed ever since - jointly with the US, but the place is 'ours'. Described as 'strategically vital' - (presumably to the US rather than us) given geography - from a military perspective.

Anyway - the native Chagosians want their island back apparently - why we need to pay them something to do so is baffling (to me) - reparations of some kind? ... but I do understand that, if it's then theirs, we should pay them rent for a continuing military base there going forward I.e. if it's a requirement for us to continue having a military presence there.

My own view is that if the legality of the initial acquisition is now viewed as 'compromised' e.g. because the actual wishes of the islanders was ignored etc - or even if it is now seen as morally the right thing to do - we should just hand it over and **** off. If the Yanks insist they need a base there, let them pay rent to the Chagosians.

Simples.

Happy to be convinced otherwise...

Expecting Solid shortly

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[Sucky]

We all team orban today yeh lads?

 

[Libby]

Struggling to think of anything I care less about tbh.

 

[Sucky]

Struggling to think of anything I care less about tbh.

The rise of the far right depends on this bro it’s important

 

[brb]

We all team orban today yeh lads?

Think he's forecast to lose aint he?

At least it will open up their borders, maybe we can lob them a few.

 

[Sucky]

Think he's forecast to lose aint he?

At least it will open up their borders, maybe we can lob them a few.

allegedly he’s gonna lose yeh

But I’m not buying all that lefty propaganda

Orban is a beacon of what the rest of Europe should be doing in terms of stopping the Middle East/African invasion

Zero tolerance

 

[Sucky]

Anyways is Kier back from his trip yet?

The ****ing useless weakling out there doing absolutely **** all with zero influence

 

[brb]

allegedly he’s gonna lose yeh

But I’m not buying all that lefty propaganda

Orban is a beacon of what the rest of Europe should be doing in terms of stopping the Middle East/African invasion

Zero tolerance

I expect it's closer than the media would like us to think.

I know little about it or Orban, but I read the opposition is pro EU, although playing it down a tad as not to put voters off, just on that point alone I would vote Orban.

 

[brb]

Anyways is Kier back from his trip yet?

The ****ing useless weakling out there doing absolutely **** all with zero influence

I don't know what he is up to bro, last I saw he was shaking hands with some military guys, but it looked the usual uncomfortable body language meet.

 

[Sucky]

I don't know what he is up to bro, last I saw he was shaking hands with some military guys, but it looked the usual uncomfortable body language meet.

The man’s an actual embarrassment to the nation

Commands zero respect from any other leaders

Joke of a pm

 

[Welshie]

Deep political thought here

Libby with the only sensible post

 

[brb]

The man’s an actual embarrassment to the nation

Commands zero respect from any other leaders

Joke of a pm

@Welshie 's here bro, wonder if he's checked out the gooner board.

 

[Sucky]

Deep political thought here

Libby with the only sensible post

What’s the current political situation in Finland bro?

 

[Sucky]

@Welshie 's here bro, wonder if he's checked out the gooner board.

Hopefully we have reason to go back there later today