Labour MP Dan Carden, who has expressed his unease with the Chagos surrender in the past under Starmer, has called for Burnham to scrap it altogether:
“I’m still amazed that so few Labour MPs have had anything to say about it. I just say to any of them, go meet one of your constituents, try and explain the Chagos deal to them, and see how it goes down…
I have been saying, it might be an idea to drop this terrible policy because you’re going to get beaten around with it, and then you get the Falklands [controversy]. It will be a domino effect, and we don’t take overseas territories seriously.
We need to look at how we actually give the territories a stake in parliament and a stake in government. So I hope Andy is capable of doing that, and I have some hope that he will look at the disastrous Chagos deal and drop it, and look to do something different – because he’s got the ability and the capacity to do that.”
The Mauritian PMO released a statement on the call with Burnham yesterday which stated the PM “reiterated his commitment to continue doing everything possible, together with the USA, towards the ratification of the Chagos treaty.” Chagos is increasingly important to the US as bases in the Middle East deteriorate…
Asked by Lobby hacks about his past comments on Trump (“any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now”) Burnham was blithe:
“Politicians say things throughout their career, but now the important thing is to focus on the moment you are in.”
Were it so easy…