Mauritius ‘to receive £35bn' for Chagos deal over 99 years
The higher figure, released after a freedom of information request to the Government Actuary's Department, is a nominal amount.
Adjusted to account for inflation, the deal is thought to be worth an average £101 million a year in 2025/26 terms, lowering the value to around £10 billion in today's money.
The UK Government has agreed to cede the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius but retain control of the military base on Diego Garcia.
Ministers feared that without a deal, the base's future was in doubt amid challenges in international courts and tribunals.
Dame Priti Patel said it was a terrible deal for the taxpayer (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
'We've all known it's a terrible deal with huge costs to hard-pressed British taxpayers,' Dame Priti wrote in The Telegraph, which first reported the figures.
'But for months, ministers in public and Parliament have sought to cover up the true amounts.'
Dame Priti also warned that 'instead of owning up to the costs, Labour has used an accountancy trick to claim the amount was only £3.4 billion – still a vast waste of money'.
She described the £35 billion figure as 'mind-blowing', and labelled Foreign Secretary David Lammy as ''Calamity' Lammy'.
Dame Priti accused him, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Attorney General Lord Hermer and special envoy for the negotiations Jonathan Powell of being 'the worst team of negotiators in history'.
The figures, seen by the PA news agency, show that the Government used a Treasury principle to reduce the figure by between 2.5% and 3.5% per year to £3.4 billion.
This 'social time preference', used since 2003, is based on the idea that taxpayers would prefer to get their return on the deal sooner rather than later.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
8 minutes ago
- The Independent
Alex Salmond did not read independence white paper, Nicola Sturgeon claims
Former first minister Alex Salmond 'hadn't read' the white paper on independence, Nicola Sturgeon claimed, as she spoke of her 'cold fury' with her former leader over his 'abdication of responsibility' on the key document. The 670-page long paper was prepared by the Scottish Government in the run-up to the 2014 referendum, with the aim of answering questions about independence ahead of the crucial vote. But in a TV interview ahead of the publication of her memoir Frankly, Ms Sturgeon, who was deputy first minister at the time, insisted that Mr Salmond 'really didn't engage in the work of the drafting or the compilation of the White Paper at all'. Speaking about her former boss, Ms Sturgeon said: 'He was the leader, he was the First Minister, and he hadn't read it.' She went on to tell ITV News at Ten presenter Julie Etchingham that she did 'not even know if he had read bits of it'. Ms Sturgeon recalled: 'I knew I was going to have to sit him down and say: 'Look, you're going to have to read this, and you're going to have to tell me now if there are bits you want to change, because it has to be signed off.' 'He told me he was going on a trade mission to China. I don't think I'd ever felt as much cold fury at him as I did in that moment. It just seemed to me like an abdication of responsibility.' Speaking about the white paper, which was published in November 2013, Ms Sturgeon said there had been an evening where she 'just suddenly had this overwhelming sense of impossibility'. She recalled thinking: 'I can't get this to the point it needs to be at. It's so unwieldy. It's so difficult.' Ms Sturgeon, who succeeded Mr Salmond to become first minister when he stood down after Scots voted to remain in the UK, continued: 'I just remember having what I can only describe as a panic attack. 'I was sobbing on the floor of my office at home and my heart was racing.' Her comments came as she told how she still misses Mr Salmond – who she was deputy first minister to for over seven years – 'in some way'. The pair had formed one of the most successful political partnerships in UK at the top of the SNP, but their relationship deteriorated and then broke down after sexual misconduct allegations against Mr Salmond emerged. Following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2020, Mr Salmond was cleared of all 13 charges, which included attempted rape and sexual offences. In an exclusive interview with ITV News before the publication of her memoir Frankly on Thursday, Ms Sturgeon said she misses the relationship she used to have with him. And she said she was hit by a 'wave of grief' after hearing of Mr Salmond's death in October last year. Ms Sturgeon said: 'Even today I still miss him in some way – the person that I used to know and the relationship we used to have. 'But I thought I had made my peace with it, that I'd got to a point where I felt nothing. 'And then I got a call to tell me that Alex Salmond had died. I started crying on the phone and I just was hit by this wave of grief … and it was complicated because obviously we weren't just no longer friends, we were political enemies. 'There was no prospect I was going to be able to go to his funeral or anything like that and it was a kind of strange, strange feeling.' Mr Salmond went on to become leader of the Alba Party, which became a frequent critic of his former party the SNP. He died suddenly of a heart attack in October in North Macedonia at the age of 69. Ms Sturgeon had not spoken to him 'for years' at that point. She said: 'I felt really deeply the loss of the relationship with him. I suddenly didn't have him. He wasn't there. I couldn't talk to him. And I went through this period of, I would still talk to him in my head. 'I would have vivid dreams that we were still on good terms. And then I'd have this feeling of such sadness when I remembered the reality. 'So, I went through that process. I still missed him in some bizarre way.' During the interview Ms Sturgeon is also asked by Ms Etchingham about her description of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as 'odious' in her memoir. She said: 'This is my impression, other people might have a different view of him. He just comes across as somebody who's got a very, very fragile ego. 'Somebody who's not particularly comfortable, particularly around women. 'In the 2015 leaders' debate just before we went on air that night, I just remember hearing him tell somebody how much he'd had to drink, in the green room area beforehand, and it just felt this kind of bravado and just not very pleasant.' Nicola Sturgeon: The Interview will broadcast on Monday August 11 at 7pm on ITV1, ITVX and STV. An extended version of the interview will be available on ITVX in the following days.
Scotsman
8 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Scotrail peak fares to be scrapped with Edinburgh to Glasgow train journeys almost half the price
In a first for rail travel anywhere in Britain, peak fares are set to be scrapped for good for customers travelling on ScotRail services from September 1. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The policy announced by the Scottish Government in May this year is aiming to make train fares simpler, more flexible, and provide better value for money for rail users. A further aim of the change is to get more people to leave the car at home and travel by rail instead. Removing peak fares will mean significant savings for customers across the country, with some journeys set to reduce by almost 50 per cent – including those between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad From Monday, September 1, customers will pay the same fare no matter what time they travel, or the day of the week. Examples of the massive savings to be made include Edinburgh to Glasgow train fares dropping by 48 per cent, down by £15.80 to just £16.80 for a return, while Edinburgh to Inverkeithing return train fares will drop by £5.20 (41 per cent) down to £7.40. There are some routes where no off-peak fare exists because the same fare is already available at any time of the day, and as such, customers will not see any change in those areas. Customers can check the ScotRail website or the app, to see off-peak fares for their route, and get set for savings when peak fares are removed. The website and app will be updated by Friday, August 22, when the peak fare options will be removed for any tickets for travel from September 1 onwards. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Commuters and travellers at Edinburgh's Waverley Station. Picture: PA As part of the move to simpler and more flexible fares, a number of other tickets will also be updated. Season Tickets will remain at their current pricing until September 27. For regular travellers, this represents a saving of at least 40 per cent compared to purchasing five Anytime Day Return tickets at pre- September 1 prices. This discount was part of a 12-month offer launched in September 2024. Flexipass tickets will have adjusted pricing from September 1 to ensure they continue to offer a saving compared to buying multiple Anytime Single or Return tickets, while still providing flexibility for part-time or hybrid commuters. Super Off-Peak Day Return tickets will be withdrawn, as the removal of peak fares means customers now benefit from great value fares all day, every day. And, Railcards, concessions, and enhanced discounts will continue to be available, with most remaining valid for travel after 9.15am, in line with existing conditions. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The significant change to the fare structure will support the Scottish Government's ambition to achieve net zero, providing more people with the opportunity to use trains as their primary form of transport. Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: 'Public ownership has created the opportunity to deliver a railway which is run for the benefit of the nation. ScotRail is one of the fastest growing operators, with one of the best passenger satisfaction rates and we are building even further on this success by removing peak fares for good. 'We want more people to choose to travel by public transport for work, study and leisure but we know that many are still struggling with cost-of-living pressures. By removing peak fares, we are making ticketing more simple and more straightforward while at the same time supporting a shift towards sustainable public transport, protecting the climate, and saving people money.' ScotRail was recently ranked as one of the best train operating companies for customer satisfaction. With an overall satisfaction of 91 per cent, ScotRail is performing better than all other large operators in Britain. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking about the scrapping of peak fares in Scotland, Joanne Maguire, ScotRail managing director, said: 'This is fantastic news, not only for our existing customers, but for everyone across the country considering rail travel for their commute or leisure journeys. 'Travelling by train remains one of the most convenient ways to get around, and with simpler, more affordable fares, we hope to see many more people choose ScotRail.'
Telegraph
8 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Trump is ‘a bit of a chauvinist', says Reform's first female MP
Donald Trump can come across as 'a bit of a chauvinist', Reform UK's only female MP has said. Sarah Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, said the US president 'clearly does respect women', but he can 'certainly' appear prejudiced at times. She also distanced her party from the Republican leader, insisting Reform is 'not aligned with Donald Trump '. Nigel Farage, the Reform leader, is a long-standing friend of Mr Trump, having helped him campaign for the US election last year. However, he recently said the pair were in a 'slightly awkward position' for diplomatic reasons, with the president bound to deal with Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the UK. Ms Pochin made the remarks about Mr Trump in an interview following a press conference on Monday morning, at which she discussed women's safety in Britain. Asked about whether Reform had found itself 'aligning' with the president, she told the PA news agency: 'This party is not aligned with Donald Trump. Donald Trump does what he does over the pond, and we do what we do.' She added: 'The other thing I would say is, Donald Trump certainly comes across at times, when I look at him through the television or the media, as possibly a bit of a chauvinist, or whatever. 'But look at his team. I mean, his press secretary [ Karoline Leavitt ] is awesome – can't remember her name – but he has a lot of very senior women in his team. 'So actually, he clearly does respect women and promotes women in his team, as Nigel is very much doing, as you've seen today, with four senior women hosting this press conference.' Mr Trump has come under fire in the past for his remarks about women, having been recorded in 2005 boasting about 'grabbing [women] by the p----' and stating that 'when you're a star, they let you do it'. He went on to apologise for the comments, saying: 'Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am. I said it, I was wrong and I apologise.' Ms Pochin was elected as Reform's first female MP at the by-election to replace Mike Amesbury, the disgraced former Labour MP, in May. She described herself as a 'clean candidate', with no big scandals to speak of besides her expulsion from her local Tory group over a mayoral row in 2020. However, she has since emerged as an outspoken voice in Reform, most notably butting heads with Zia Yusuf, the party's then chairman, when she urged Sir Keir Starmer to ban the burka in June. Mr Yusuf resigned over the remarks but rejoined the party in a new role shortly afterwards. Ms Pochin's comments about Mr Trump risk putting her at odds with Mr Farage, who recently said his relationship with the president had 'always been one of friendship'. The Runcorn MP was one of four female Reform politicians hosting the press conference on Monday. She was joined by Dame Andrea Jenkyns, the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire, who described herself as one of 'Farage's fillies', as well as Linden Kemkaran, the leader of Kent county council, and Laila Cunningham, a Westminster City councillor. During her speech, Ms Pochin claimed that illegal migrants from 'predominantly Muslim' countries put women 'at risk of sexual assault'. 'The inconvenient truth for the Left is that the culture of men from predominantly Muslim countries like Afghanistan is one that holds a medieval view of women's rights,' she said. 'It is fundamentally alien to the centuries of progress made by our own western culture and attitudes. 'Women are at risk of sexual assault and rape from these men, hundreds of young men who arrive in this country, housed in our communities, who undoubtedly become sexually frustrated, have a warped view of their right to sexually assault women.' During her speech, Ms Kemkaran stressed the need to protect single-sex spaces, saying: 'It is a fact that allowing biological men into women's spaces has made women and girls in the UK less safe.' However, Reform was forced to defend its own policies after it emerged that men attending the event at the party's headquarters had been asked to use the women's lavatories for security reasons. It came days after Reform was caught in a row over trans rights, with Mr Farage distancing himself from his new justice adviser over the issue of trans women in female prisons. I have never supported men in women's prisons. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) August 5, 2025 Asked why men were using the women's lavatories at the press conference, a Reform source said: 'Due to operational security, it's the press toilets when we have a press conference or use the event space. They're individual lockable cubicles.' By the end of the event, the sign on the door to the women's lavatories had been covered by a piece of paper saying 'press toilet'.
