UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Peter Lamb, a Labour MP, has criticised Foreign Secretary David Lammy for misrepresenting facts in Parliament regarding the Chagos Islands deal.
The Foreign Secretary is facing backlash from his own party for giving distorted statements in the House of Commons about the Chagos Islands negotiations.
What accusations did Peter Lamb make about Chagos negotiations?
During a meeting held in Portcullis House to facilitate dialogue between indigenous Chagossian community members and MPs, Labour MP for Crawley, Mr. Lamb claimed that there is “clear evidence” indicating that the foreign secretary’s remarks in the Commons may not be true. He criticized the government’s claims that Chagossians were consulted during the negotiation process.
The remarks by Mr. Lamb, whose constituency is home to the UK’s largest Chagossian population, highlight the rising tension over the agreement. The future of the deal is becoming uncertain, and political relations are growing more tense.
What’s behind the lack of transparency in Chagos negotiations?
As reported by the Independent, Chagossian Voices, a group advocating for the indigenous individuals of the island, stated that they have not had any discussions with David Lammy. They also highlighted that Stephen Doughty, who held two meetings with the group after the agreement was finalized, declined to talk about the ongoing negotiations.
Stephen Doughty met with members of the Chagossian group on 30 September and 3 October. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) sources claim that officials have kept up regular communication on various issues. However, Mr. Doughty told those in attendance that he could not discuss the negotiations.
One participant, Jean-Francois, who attended both sessions, revealed that the second meeting lasted only 10 minutes, while the first discussion ran for 30 minutes.
How do Chagossians challenge the foreign secretary’s claims?
David Lammy insists that Chagossian interests are “at the heart of the agreement.” Meanwhile, more than 10 indigenous campaigners present at the meeting dispute this assertion, challenging the accuracy of his statement.
Speaking at the meeting, Carl Buckley, a lawyer for Chagossian Voices, stated,
“We have a secretary of state who is on the record saying, all of these [people] have been consulted when they have not.”
Mr Buckley added,
“There is a refusal to correct the record, there is a refusal to respond to correspondence that they have sent. There is an utter refusal to engage with these people. So their humanity, their individuality, is being ignored.”
What did Shadow Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois say about the Chagos deal?
Mark Francois stated,
“The foreign secretary’s benighted Chagos deal just staggers from one disaster to another. Not only are president Trump’s team clearly very unhappy with it, but now even Labour backbenchers are speaking out against it too.”
Mr. Francois urged David Lammy to reconsider the Chagos agreement, stating that it’s time to scrap the plan before it leads to more setbacks.
How does the UK government defend its Chagos agreement?
A government representative stated, “The negotiations were between the UK and Mauritius with our priority being to secure the full operation of the base on Diego Garcia.”
It further added that Britain has worked to ensure Chagossian interests are considered in the deal, highlighting that both the previous and current administrations have engaged with the community at both ministerial and official levels since November 2022.
How far have the UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands talks come?
Progress has been seen in the UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands talks. On January 13, a joint statement from both governments confirmed that productive negotiations were held in London regarding the future of the Chagos Archipelago, with ongoing discussions focused on reaching a mutually beneficial deal.