There’s still time to save British Indian Ocean Territory, at least according to the Mauritius media which is being directly briefed by the negotiating team present in London. Reports published in Mauritius French language paper Le Defi Quotidien contradict most of the UK stories which have been published in the past week, including the FT‘s scoop about ‘frontloading’ the proposed payment. In summary the reports claim:
The paper concludes: “At the level of the Mauritian Government, one maintains that there isn’t a rush to complete the deal before the inauguration of Trump”. That’s contrary to most UK spin put out by Labour, attempting to rush the deal. Could the UK media be wildly ahead of itself and Trump will yet have the chance to wreck Starmer’s giveaway?
In Henry Mance’s piece today for the FT, lunching with Nigel Farage:
“Splendido!” Farage says, when the drinks arrive; I suppose it’s a step to European reconciliation. We clink glasses, and he lights the first of two back-to-back Benson & Hedges. A few minutes later, we’re back downstairs. “Are you drinking? Good.” He orders a glass of Sauvignon blanc for each of us — not a bottle, “because it’s Lent” — followed by a bottle of claret, to have with our meal. They say Farage drinks less than he used to. They say a lot of things.”