The Number 10 spokesman just now:
“I think the important point on this is that there is no Chagossian government. We don’t recognise the self-appointed government in exile, but as I say, we will continue to engage with the US and Mauritians on next steps and we’ve set out our position many times… we no longer have the parliamentary time to get this [Chagos] deal done in this session. Our position on the deal remains that it is the best way to protect [Diego Garcia]”.
Know when you’re beaten…
Speaking at an IPPR think tank event in London, the Health Secretary compared striking junior doctors to mutinous sailors.
“I feel like we’ve turned the ship, the boat’s going in the right direction, except some of the crew are trying to row in one direction while the rest of us are going in the other. You can’t make progress that way. We are seeing an improving NHS, and we’ve seen improvement despite resident doctors’ strikes, but the fact is, performance would have been better and there would have been more money to invest in staff and services if the BMA hadn’t been undertaking the strike action.”