Dame Andrea Jenkyns has blasted the government for their Chagos deal, labelling the move a “tragedy”.
This comes after a passionate protest took place today as British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) citizens gathered outside Westminster to demand that Britain halts Labour’s plan to hand over the Chagos Islands.
Speaking to GB News the former Conservative MP said: “When I was at the protest earlier, they were really directing the anger at Starmer and at Labour.
“They said it was a Labour Government last time, who lost our homes and lost our island.”
Dame Andrea Jenkyns said that it is “tragic”
GB News
“They said that Starmer is meant to be a human rights lawyer, where are our human rights?”
“So they are demanding to be listened too, and I think the fact that they haven’t been consulted, that’s the tragedy of this.”
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She added: “They said they don’t want to be part of Mauritius. That was a general feel.
“They said we are not Mauritius. There were some ladies there as well who were born on the island and they said, we just want to go home.
“The deal that Starmer’s done with, what is it, 98 nearly 100 years that they the island is still going to be occupied.
“They just want to go home and they haven’t been consulted. And I just think it’s a tragedy.”
The Prime Minister has given up the islands
PA
The sudden move to proceed without parliamentary debate or a clear mandate has stoked anger among islanders and their supporters.
Many emphasised their desire to remain British, with one protester declaring, “Let’s not forget, they want to remain British!”
Critics of the handover argue that the decision undermines Britain’s sovereignty and national security interests.
The Diego Garcia military base, a key component of the Anglo-American alliance, is of significant strategic importance.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the Government’s decision as “sheer political correctness”.
Andrea Jenkyns attended the protest
GB News
He told GB News: “It’s nonsense. It’s total nonsense. Why are we doing this?
“Sheer political correctness, a desire to look like the good guys. The desire to look as if they were unbundling the last relics of our empire. It’s nonsense.
“It’s a bad idea in hard geopolitical terms because the base in Diego Garcia is, I’m sure you know, for all our viewers know, is of huge strategic importance for the US, for the West.
“It’s a key component of the Anglo-American alliance. It’s one of the things we bring to the table, and has been for decades that base.”