Philippe Sands – Starmer’s close friend who has acted for Mauritius on the Chagos case for many years – has today said that the deal proposes no risk of Chinese expansion because Mauritius won’t do anything without India’s permission. Sands claimed the deal was “a win-win for everyone.” Not least himself seeing as he was paid out of a pot of over £8 million…
Sands falsely claimed to an obsequious James O’Brien on LBC that the Chagos archipelago is “now part of the sovereignty of Mauritius.” He also said the fate of the islands is up to India now:
“I mean, if the International Court of Justice had given its ruling and it hadn’t been followed, then there would have just been uncertainty and insecurity and a lack of stability. And that is the kind of vacuum into which others insert themselves. But the reality is, if you’ve been to Mauritius, it’s a country whose closest, you know, colleague is India. It doesn’t do anything without India giving the get-go, and saying yes, you can do that. India’s been deeply involved in these negotiations, and there’s no way India is going to allow Mauritius to give any of its islands, and it’s got plenty to give away if it wanted to, to China. So the Chinese thing, frankly, is a bit of a red herring.”
At least Sands is reassured…
In other news Sands was recently disqualified as an arbitrator from hearing a Cypriot-owned oil company’s claim against Turkmenistan due to a conflict of interest. Embarrassing…
James O’Brien has demeaned himself again on his LBC phone-in with Sadiq Khan. He begged the London mayor to give him the story when he decides whether to run for a fourth term or not:
“Can I have that scoop – because I’ve had you in the studio for 10 years and I’ve never had one big story from you. Can I have the story about whether or not you’re going to run for Mayor of London? I want you to promise now – this is entirely unprofessional, self interested, and a little bit needy, but I want that story… I want that. Stick that on a post-it note or something like that.”
Khan offered no such promise. Sad…
Foreign Secretary David Lammy appeared on James O’Brien’s LBC show this morning despite calls for O’Brien to resign over an antisemitism row. On Tuesday, O’Brien uncritically read out a claim alleging Jewish children in the UK are taught that “one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives” and that “Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed.” He added he’d read the comments in “good faith”…
The Board of Deputies of British Jews branded the remarks “unacceptable and highly offensive,” and demanded LBC take O’Brien off the air. Despite the furore, Lammy has gone ahead with his appearance. He told O’Brien he was “reassured” the UK isn’t complicit in Israel’s actions in Gaza, insisting “we aren’t sending anything the IDF could use.” Probably not the wisest media choice for the Foreign Secretary…
James O’Brien has today apologised on LBC after he yesterday uncritically read out a claim that Jewish children attending “Shabbat school” in the UK were taught that “one Jewish life is worth thousands of Arab lives, and that Arabs are cockroaches to be crushed.” The now-deleted clip has received global coverage…
He has now said on air:
“At this time yesterday on the show, I read out a message from a listener called Chris who said that his wife had been brought up in the Jewish faith and had attended what he described as a Shabbat school. He went on to make further claims about what he said she had been taught in that school. As with all the texts and messages that I read out on the program, I did so in good faith. But the message has understandably upset a lot of people and I regret taking those unsubstantiated claims at face value and I’m genuinely sorry for that. Um, and it is very important that I get that out there and and thank you for your um, attention.”
LBC has not released its own statement. A Campaign Against Antisemitism spokesman said the original comments were “amplified by a host who likely wouldn’t think twice about cutting off the caller were he promoting such grotesque falsehoods about another minority.” Not pretty…
It has been a year since Keir Starmer summoned “the sunlight of hope” and declared an end to 14 years of misery.
Dewy-eyed hacks could barely contain themselves. Krishnan Guru-Murthy signalled the end of “personality-driven” politics, and claimed it would be so tranquil in Westminster that it would be a “challenge” for broadcasters to cope. Andrew Marr even insisted a “wall of money” would come pouring into the country, and we were all lucky enough to live in a “a little haven of peace and stability” now that serious people were back in charge. Obviously James O’Brien welcomed the return of the grown-ups.
It would take some time to adjust to ‘The Quiet’ era of politics. How’s that going?
James O’Brien has been discussing the Trump administration on his show today. LBC notes that he “draws a parallel between JD Vance and Joseph Goebbels.” Here we go…
“Most of the people who’ve been whining about the West for years because they don’t like foreigners have actually ushered in precisely the thing they claimed they didn’t want – the destruction of the West in its traditional form. I think it might have been Goebbels: “Accuse others of what you yourself will do.” So in in the arena most obviously of shutting down freedom of speech the idea that JD Vance can accuse us having problems with free speech while students in the United States are literally being snatched from the streets and locked up for writing editorials in student newspapers is is frankly extraordinary.”
Godwin’s law in full effect there – though Starmer’s Chagos chum Philippe Sands pipped O’Brien to the post. O’Brien has also been seriously struggling with yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act. Co-conspirators will be full of sympathy…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”