Guido has obtained hundreds of emails from inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and across government pertinent to Starmer’s Chagos deal. The documents, released under Freedom of Information laws, disclose the inside story of how the Chagos giveaway became an immediate priority for Starmer, and how Labour political appointees ordered Whitehall to push it through. Over the coming days, Guido will be publishing this correspondence as part of ‘The Chagos Files’ series…
Keir Starmer’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell was appointed ‘PM’s Envoy for the BIOT sovereignty negotiations’ on 6 September 2024. We know this because that was the date given to Parliament in a written answer…
However, Guido’s ‘Chagos Files’ reveal Powell was actually engaged on the Chagos issue at least a month prior to his appointment as a government official. An email from an FCDO civil servant to Powell sent on 6 August 2024 reads: “It was a pleasure to meet you on Friday. I do hope you are enjoying your break away. As requested, I am forwarding the below Mauritian news report (with attachment) from our High Commission in Port Louis for your info. I will forward these as they come through (usually daily or every other day).” In other words, Powell held meetings with civil servants while still a private citizen…
Powell was in receipt of government meetings and information prior to his formal appointment. At the time, he was working for his controversial consultancy Inter Mediate. The email, and dozens of subsequent press summaries, were sent to his non-government Inter Mediate email address – a potential security breach. Other emails show multiple Inter Mediate employees being copied into official government emails prior to Powell’s appointment…
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The meeting between Powell and the FCDO civil servants from the ‘Overseas Territories and Polar Directorate’ to discuss Chagos took place barely a month after the 2024 general election, which was held on 4 July 2024. These emails contradict accounts given by Labour ministers to Parliament, and will raise further questions over the role of Powell and his private consultancy…
Starmer was read out a list of his 13 U-turns on BBC Radio 2, to which he responded:
“Well, I am a common sense merchant.”
