Nigel Farage has demanded a referendum on the surrender of the Chagos Islands in a further swipe at Labour’s “rotten” handover of the strategic archipelago.
The Reform UK leader has echoed calls made by Tory peers to let the Chagossian people decide the future of their homeland – which would likely take until after Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President to come to fruition.
Defence minister Luke Pollard claimed on Monday that the deal was “strongly supported” by the US – but Trump ally Farage labelled Labour’s take on American policy a “fantasy” in response.
Farage told the Commons: “The presentation of what the American administration believes is a fantasy.
Nigel Farage has demanded a referendum on the surrender of the Chagos Islands
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“Joe Biden is going – in fact, many think he’s gone already.
“I’ve been contacted by very senior officials and advisers from the incoming Republican administration and every single one of them is appalled at this deal.
“They know the leasehold agreement will not survive, just as the deal with China over Hong Kong didn’t survive.
“Hasn’t the time come for the Government to admit this is a rotten deal for the UK, a rotten deal for America and an even worse deal for the Chagossians?
LATEST ON THE CHAGOS SURRENDER:
Farage warned that the Chagos agreement would meet a similar fate as Hong Kong’s – the territory has suffered under China’s thumb since 1997’s handover
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‘Every single one’ of Trump’s team is ‘appalled’ by the surrender, Farage said
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“And if you care so much about the sovereignty of the Falklands being in the hands of the Falkland Islanders, why not have a referendum of the Chagossians and ask them to settle who should have sovereignty over those islands?”
Pollard had claimed the deal “has been supported by all relevant US departments and agencies following a rigorous scrutiny process”.
He told Parliament prior to Farage’s remarks: “This base is a key part of the UK-US defence relationship as it enables the United Kingdom and the United States to support operations that demonstrate our shared commitment to regional stability, provide rapid response to crises, and counter some of the most challenging security threats we face.
“The President of the United States applauded the agreement.”
The Chagos deal itself is still yet to have been ratified by Parliament
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Speaking to The Telegraph about a referendum some weeks ago, Tory peer Lord Bellingham said: “The only way actually to ensure that there has been a proper consultation is if there’s a referendum.
“It’s going to be impossible to track them down, but something like 50,000 graduates of Oxford are going to be voting on the new chancellor, and they’re spread around every corner of the globe, so it should be possible to track down Chagossians and at least advertise it.”
The amendment is expected to receive significant support from Tory and crossbench peers – which together form a majority in the Lords.
But the Chagos deal itself is still yet to have been ratified by Parliament.