Labour has pulled its committal motion on the Chagos Bill for this evening. That is what would have pushed the Bill along…
The Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill has its second reading in the Lords today. Guido hears Labour was worried that LibDem peers would vote with Tory opposition peers on amendments requiring the consultation of Chagossians on aspects of the arrangement with Mauritius. Starmer would hate that…
The Bill could be delayed now – it has to be retabled. Embarrassing as Guido breaks the news that Mauritius is reneging on its commitments to Chagossians…
Downing Street said Starmer opened up this week’s Cabinet meeting by saying:
“Distractions meant our focus shifted from where it mattered most, working every day in service of the British people. People were rightly impatient for change and we had to deliver that rather than talk about ourselves [and] that meant working as one team.”