The special envoy who negotiated the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius said Britain is losing more ground to coastal erosion than the land mass of the islands.
Jonathan Powell said Britain should not be “too worried” about losing control of the islands he described as being “very tiny.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the agreement over the islands would secure the long-term future of a joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, which he deemed as the “single most important thing.”
However, Labour’s decision was derided by Conservative leadership candidates, with Tom Tugendhat arguing the deal had been “negotiated against Britain’s interest” and it was “disgraceful” that such talks had begun under the previous Conservative government.
Jonathan Powell said Britain should not be ‘too worried’ about the decision
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Powell, who was chief of staff to Tony Blair during his premiership, told Times Radio: “We’re probably losing more to tidal erosion in the east coast.”
According to the UK climate change risk assessment report, about 28 per cent of the English and Welsh coastline is being eroded, with six per cent losing more than a metre of land each year.
He said US officials have been “intimately involved” in the negotiations, adding: “Every single sentence and paragraph has been through an inter-agency process, all of the agencies in Washington. We’ve secured all of their red lines in that negotiation.
“When you come to see the detailed treaty, which is really quite long with the exchanges of letters, you’ll see that this idea of a Chinese base is just hooey. It can’t happen, won’t happen.”
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Powell also denied claims Mauritius was working closely with the Chinese government, saying: “The fact that some of the newspapers have suggested Mauritius is an ally of China – it could hardly be further from the truth.
“Mauritius is very, very close to India and the Indians also have welcomed this agreement because they see it as so important for security in the Indian Ocean.
“Mauritius is one of only two countries in Africa that’s not a member of China’s Belt and Road (Initiative). So this notion that we’ve somehow given the Chagos Islands to an ally of China is rubbish, and anyway the negotiations were started by the previous Tory government.”
US President Joe Biden welcomed the “historic agreement” adding it was a “clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.”
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said he broadly backed the Government on its decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius
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Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said he broadly backed the Government on its decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but added the process of handing over the islands “all started under the Conservatives”.
He said: “I have seen the Conservatives complaining about it but they started all the talks. I think it was James Cleverly when he was foreign secretary.”
Meanwhile, Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “Giving up the Chagos Islands is a strategic disaster. Our American allies will be furious and Beijing delighted. Labour are making the world a more dangerous place.”
