Britain will NOT surrender the Falklands or Gibraltar after handing back Chagos Islands, Cabinet minister vows
BRITAIN will not surrender the Falklands or Gibraltar, a Cabinet minister vowed yesterday.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle shut down fears of more land giveaways after his Government agreed to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
He also told Sky News: “This is a win-win.
“The previous government clearly couldn’t get it across the line in the interest of the country, and of the region.”
But Shadow Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell fired back, insisting no Conservative administration would have struck such a deal with the Beijing-leaning islands.
He also demanded to know “what protection there is against Chinese encroachment into the archipelago”.
The Foreign Office announced on Friday that an agreement had been struck to give sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius.
As part of the agreement, the UK and US will maintain a military presence on Diego Garcia for 99 years, with an option to renew.
But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could be in for a fight at home, as the deal may need parliamentary approval.