CP
The campaign for justice for the Chagossian people has entered a new phase, as Louis Misley Mandarin, lead claimant in the ongoing High Court challenge, has called on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to formally hear from Chagossian voices before any UK sovereignty deal with Mauritius is finalised.
Speaking outside Parliament on Monday, Mr Mandarin highlighted serious concerns raised by Committee Chair Emily Thornberry at a recent hearing, including issues of sovereignty, environmental protection, national security, and the rights of the Chagossian people.
Mr Mandarin urged Ms Thornberry to meet with him directly and called for the suspension of any sovereignty transfer until the Judicial Review, backed by the Great British PAC, is heard in the High Court.
The intervention comes amid growing unease among Labour MPs about the Government’s handling of negotiations over the future of the Chagos Islands, particularly its failure to consult the very people whose homeland is at stake.
Misley’s outreach follows confirmation that materials submitted by campaigners were referenced in Parliamentary questions during a recent oral evidence session of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Louis Misley Mandarin, Chagossian claimant and campaigner, said:
“We are grateful that some MPs are listening. Now we ask the Foreign Affairs Committee to hear directly from Chagossians. Our fate should not be decided behind closed doors, without our voices. We are British citizens, and we deserve to be heard in our own Parliament.”
.
There is reported discontent within Labour ranks, with Emily Thornberry MP, a prominent Labour politician, understood to be among those upset by the Labour Government’s failure to consult the Chagossian community. Committee members from across parties are being urged to take up the issue in the name of democracy, justice, and transparency.
Claire Bullivant, CEO of the Great British PAC, which is backing the legal case, said:
“There is now a real chance for Parliament, and especially Labour backbenchers, to step up. This is not just a question of foreign policy; it’s about whether we listen to the voices of a displaced British people. Misley’s offer to speak to the Committee is the right step at the right time. Parliament must not look the other way.”
The legal case, which passed its first hurdle in the High Court last week, argues that the Government acted unlawfully by failing to consult the Chagossians under the Equality Act 2010 and basic principles of fairness. The Court has ordered the Government to file its defence by 4 July, and a judge will review the case around 11 July, with a full hearing likely before the end of the month.
Campaigners say public and political support is now crucial. They are urging Parliament to pause any sovereignty deal until the legal process concludes and Chagossians are given a formal say.
Former Leader of the House Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, said: “It would be normal for Parliament to now suspend any progress relating to Chagos’ sovereignty until the Court has ruled.”
Conservative MP Bradley Thomas also backed a pause, warning the Government against moving forward without proper consultation.
“It turns out even senior Labour MPs are uneasy about this deal,” he said. “That should serve as a warning. Full consultation is essential, anything less isn’t acceptable.”
“The court battle may be the decisive blow,” said Bullivant, “but the war will be won with the hearts and minds of MPs—and the British people.”
The campaign continues to seek public support for legal costs via:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/savechagos
READ MISLEY MANDARIN’S FULL SPEECH OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT HERE:
Hello. I’m Misley Mandarin. I’ve come here to Parliament today because I believe the Chagos Agreement deserves far more public scrutiny than it’s had.
Just last week, in this building behind me, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee — chaired by Emily Thornberry — asked some serious, urgent questions about the deal that’s been signed between the UK and Mauritius.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about diplomatic paperwork. This is about sovereignty, security, environmental protection, and justice for the Chagossian people.
The Chair of the Committee, Emily Thornberry, raised real concerns.
She questioned whether Parliament had been properly consulted on such a significant treaty. She asked whether the treaty would actually protect one of the world’s most pristine marine ecosystems — or whether Chinese vessels could simply move in the moment we hand the islands over.
She pressed for clarity on how and when these islands — which are of vital strategic importance — will be transferred, and whether any safeguards at all will be in place when that happens.
She even asked whether British Chagossians might be denied the right to return, while others with no link to the islands might be allowed to settle there.
These aren’t minor details. These are fundamental questions of democratic accountability, environmental integrity, and national interest.
So today, I’m inviting Emily Thornberry and the Foreign Affairs Select Committee to meet with me directly to talk about the Chagos Agreement — transparently, accountably, and responsibly.
I’m not here to play politics. I’m here because I believe the British public deserves to know the full truth — before irreversible decisions are made.
Chair Thornberry, your questions matter. We share your concerns. And I’d welcome the chance to sit down with the Committee and continue this important conversation.
Thanks to the backing of the Great British PAC, I’ll be taking the government to the High Court in just a few weeks’ time, seeking a Judicial Review of the Chagos Agreement.
Until the Court has ruled, I call on Parliament to suspend any process related to the transfer of sovereignty.
Justice demands no less.
And I hope to meet with the Foreign Affairs Select Committee very soon.
Thank you.
This article (Calls Grow to Suspend Chagos Deal Amid Legal Challenge and MP Concerns) was created and published by Conservative Post and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author CP
See Related Article Below
Labour MPs Join Tories and Turn on Chagos Deal, Citing Betrayal of Chagossians and Environmental Risk
CP
Labour MPs including Emily Thornberry join growing chorus of criticism over the Chagos deal, questioning its legitimacy and long-term impact.
The Chagos Islands treaty, formally transferring sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) to Mauritius, has triggered an increasingly vocal backlash from within the Labour Party, as senior MPs express doubts over the deal’s transparency, environmental guarantees, and its treatment of the Chagossian community.
In a combative session of the Foreign Affairs Committee last week (23 June), Labour’s own Emily Thornberry, Chair of the Committee, challenged Foreign Office officials over what she called a lack of democratic oversight and insufficient safeguards.
“Do you not think that the CRAG process is something from the 19th century and ought to be thrown in the Thames so that we can have a little democracy in this place by having a vote and a debate when treaties are signed?” Thornberry asked in Q6, referring to the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, which governs parliamentary scrutiny of treaties.
Environmental Alarm Bells
Thornberry also raised urgent concerns about the ecological vulnerability of the archipelago—widely considered one of the last untouched marine ecosystems in the world.
“What concerns me is this: are we going to be handing over these islands before there is in place some form of protection for the wildlife on these islands?” she asked at Q69.
Pressing officials on whether there might be a dangerous delay between the handover and the introduction of environmental enforcement, she warned:
“Might there be a gap during which time the Chinese trawlers turn up and grab all the fish?” (Q72)
She also demanded clarity on concrete funding mechanisms:
“Is there going to be a ringfenced fund that is going to be given by Britain to Mauritius for the protection of the environment and wildlife on these islands?” (Q64)
In an earlier Commons debate, Thornberry highlighted the global environmental importance of the area:
“AT A TIME WHEN OUR OCEANS HAVE NEVER BEEN UNDER SUCH STRESS, THE BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY IS ONE OF THE LAST OCEAN WILDERNESSES IN THE WORLD, AND TUNA TRAWLERS ARE LINING UP ON THE BOUNDARY OF THE NO-TAKE ZONE…”
National Security and Sovereignty Questions
Another core concern centred on the legal and operational guarantees for Diego Garcia, the joint US-UK military base. Thornberry voiced worries about future law enforcement capacity and the reliability of Mauritius in upholding maritime protections.
“So at the moment we are taking it on trust that Mauritius will have a patrol vehicle outside the 12-nautical-mile limit?” she asked pointedly in Q68.
There were also frustrations about timelines and vagueness in answers from Minister Stephen Doughty and Foreign Office Director Peter Candler.
“I am just worried that this is not going to work… and that there will not be a framework in place…” she said in Q76.
Labour’s Peter Lamb MP: ‘Very Disappointing’ and Lacking Legal Certainty
Beyond the committee room, Labour’s Peter Lamb MP, who represents a significant Chagossian population in Crawley, has also criticised the deal in public and parliamentary fora.
In January, he noted that “no engagement had taken place with the Chagossian community” during the negotiations. In May, he called the treaty “very disappointing”, highlighting that it provided “none of the legal certainties required to guarantee Chagossians—particularly those resident in the UK—the ability to access the islands or for permanent habitation to be possible.”
In the Commons, Lamb demanded clarity on what he should tell his constituents:
“WHAT SHOULD I TELL MY CHAGOSSIAN CONSTITUENTS, WHEN THEY ASK THE MORAL BASIS UPON WHICH THE UK IS IGNORING THEIR RIGHT TO SELF‑DETERMINATION…”
He was later quoted in media reports (including The Telegraph) denouncing the deal as the “worst thing” the Labour Party had done—an extraordinary rebuke from within party ranks.
Cabinet-Level Disquiet and Comparisons to Historical Blunders
According to The Guardian, the Chagos agreement has also caused disquiet at the cabinet level, with two ministers privately expressing concerns about its cost amid wider public spending pressures.
One former Labour adviser told the paper the treaty had the potential to become “a totemic issue akin to Gordon Brown selling half the UK’s gold reserves.” Another branded the deal “a catastrophic error”, arguing that the UK should now exit the process altogether.
“THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE IT NOW AND SAVE FACE IS TO PULL OUT AND SAY: ‘WE TRIED TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE, TRIED TO SUPPORT THE RULES-BASED ORDER, BUT MAURITIUS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY UNREASONABLE AND NOW IT WILL NEVER BE RETURNED.’”
Growing Rift Inside Labour
What Labour tried to sell as a foreign policy win for the government and a demonstration of commitment to international law is now turning into a divisive issue within the Labour Party itself. Thornberry’s intervention signals that even those in leadership roles are no longer convinced the process is sound.
As scrutiny intensifies, from parliamentary committees, grassroots campaigners, and media outlets, the government faces renewed pressure to clarify the treaty’s terms, protect UK strategic interests, and ensure the long-denied rights of the Chagossian people are finally honoured.
A legal battle to ensure Chagossians are lawfully consulted before the UK Government signs away sovereignty of their homeland has cleared its major first hurdle in the High Court last week.
The Judicial Review, launched by Chagossian claimant Louis Misley Mandarin with support from the Great British PAC, has been formally accepted by the court and granted an expedited timetable.
This means the Government must now file its legal defence by 4 July, drastically shortening its usual 28-day window. A High Court judge is expected to review the matter around 11 July, potentially triggering a full hearing by the end of July.
Claire Bullivant, CEO of the Great British PAC, said:
“This is a huge step forward. The courts have recognised the urgency and importance of this case. We now call on Parliament to suspend any process related to Chagos sovereignty until the Court has ruled. Justice demands no less.”
For full transcript and video of the Foreign Affairs Committee session (23 June 2025), visit:
https://committees.parliament.uk/event/24636/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
Sources:
- The Guardian: Chagos deal triggers backlash inside Labour
- Hansard Society: Treaty Scrutiny and the CRAG Process
- Labour MP condemns Chagos deal as ‘worst thing’ party has ever done: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/10/labour-mp-peter-lamb-condemns-chagos-deal-worst-thing/
This article (Labour MPs Join Tories and Turn on Chagos Deal, Citing Betrayal of Chagossians and Environmental Risk) was created and published by Conservative Post and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author CP
Featured image: politicshome.com
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Liberty Beacon Project.
Leave a Reply