
Legal case for Chagos Islands handover hits another hurdle
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been told he is 'running out of excuses' to press ahead with the controversial deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
A key argument for the deal was that it would fend off legal challenges under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
It has now been revealed that the UK is protected under international law against UNCLOS challenges.
It is the second major part of the legal case to fall apart after it was revealed claims that telecommunications could be stopped on the islands were also shown to be false.
Critics argue the deal, costing £18 billion, unnecessarily leases back a strategically vital airbase that the UK already owns.

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The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
UK could face up to £30bn of tax rises to fund defence spending boost, economist says
Rachel Reeves could be forced to raise up to £30bn through tax rises or funding cuts as the chancellor seeks to meet Labour's pledge to boost defence spending, an economist has claimed. The government has promised to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, and has an 'ambition' – but no firm commitment – to raise it to 3 per cent in the next parliament, after 2029. But the UK's Nato allies are expected also to push for a fresh target of 3.5 per cent, with the alliance's chief Mark Rutte pushing for a 'dramatic increase', with discussions over a possible 5 per cent target – as called for by Donald Trump – also taking place. And Sir Keir Starmer this week vowed to make Britain 'a battle-ready, armour-clad nation' as a long-awaited defence review called for major upgrades to the UK's military. While the major proposals were based around Labour's current spending pledges for 2027 and the next parliament, the report warned that 'as we live in such turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster' on increasing the UK's defence capabilities. Michael Saunders, a senior economic adviser at the Oxford Economics consultancy, suggested that the government could take steps towards this in the chancellor's next Budget. 'To establish a more credible path to defence spending 'considerably north of 3 per cent' next decade, the government may decide in the autumn Budget that it needs to add some extra spending within the five-year OBR forecast horizon,' said Mr Saunders. 'It's not hard to see pressures for extra fiscal tightening of £15bn to £30bn,' he told The Telegraph. Fiscal tightening involves either raising taxes or cutting government spending. Earlier this week, Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), also warned the only way to pay for the increased defence budget would be through 'chunky tax rises' as the government grapples with other key areas of public spending. He told Times Radio: 'You really do have to ask that question, what are the choices that you're going to make? Bluntly, it really does seem to me that the only choice that is available, is some really quite chunky tax increases to pay for it.' According to the IFS, hitting the 3 per target by 2030 would require an extra £17bn pounds between now and then which is yet to be accounted for. Sir Keir has previously said that increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent would mean 'spending £13.4bn more on defence every year from 2027'. The Office for Budget Responsibility has also estimated that reaching 3 per cent by the next parliament would cost an additional £17.3bn in 2029/30. Speaking in parliament as the defence review was unveiled this week, Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire said: 'It is staggering that we still don't have an answer to the vital question: 'Where is the money coming from?' The government has flip-flopped a number of times on 3 per cent.' On Tuesday, defence secretary John Healey failed to rule out tax rises to make Britain 'war ready' and insisted he was '100 per cent confident' the 3 per cent target would be met — but struggled to say how it would be paid for. It came as defence sources were reported to expect that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target to hike defence spending to 3.5 per cent by 2035 at a Nato summit later this month in a bid to appease the US president.


Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Government's anti-radicalisation programme says being worried about mass migration is 'terrorist ideology'
The government's anti-radicalisation programme has decided worries about mass migration are 'terrorist ideology'. Among the 'dangerous' beliefs flagged by Prevent's online training course are 'Cultural nationalism' and the idea 'Western culture is under threat'. A statement on the official website describes 'Extreme right-wing' ideology as terrorism, before going on to list three sub-categories. It says concerns around 'lack of integration by certain ethnic and cultural groups' are also a threat. Critics have warned the definition of 'cultural nationalism' is too broad and could even encompass the likes of Sir Keir Starmer. Lord Young, the general secretary of the Free Speech Union (FSU) said: 'The definition in the training course expands the scope of suspicion to include individuals whose views are entirely lawful but politically controversial. 'Now that 'cultural nationalism' has been classified as a subcategory of extreme Right-wing terrorist ideology, even mainstream, Right-of-centre beliefs risk being treated as ideologically suspect, despite falling well within the bounds of lawful expression.' Lord Young added the definition could also capture Mr Jenrick, the former immigration minister, who warned 'excessive, uncontrolled migration threatens to cannibalise the compassion of the British public'. There are three categories of 'Extreme right-wing' terrorism. They are 'Cultural nationalism', 'white/ethno-nationalism' and 'white supremacism' Prevent is one part of the government's overall counter-terrorism strategy and is described as a multi-agency programme that 'aims to stop individuals becoming terrorists'. A Home Office spokesman said: 'Prevent is not about restricting debate or free speech, but about protecting those susceptible to radicalisation.' Each year, thousands of teachers, police officers, health workers and other staff undergo Prevent training. The programmes official 'refresher awareness' course states 'cultural nationalism' as one of the most common 'sub-categories of extreme Right-wing terrorist ideologies', alongside white supremacism and white/ethno-nationalism'. The row comes despite a report by Sir William Shawcross, a former independent reviewer of Prevent, warning that mainstream literature and even Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg had been described as 'cultural nationalists'. Sir William recommended Prevent must be 'consistent in the threshold that it applies across ideologies to ensure a proportionate and effective response'. Among the programme's other failures were its inability to identify people who went on to carry out terrorist attacks, according to Sir William. A former government adviser has now also described the 'cultural nationalism' definition as 'pretty shoddy'. It comes amid fears that despite a person being deemed to require 'no further action', their name could be smeared, with it remaining on police or other databases. Last month, retired police officer Julian Foulkes was arrested and detained for a social media post - with officials who searched his house describing his book collection as 'very Brexity'. Mr Foulkes subsequently received an apology and £20,000 compensation. The FSU has said it has already worked to support members of Prevent like a 24-year-old autistic man whose social worker reporter he had been viewing 'offensive and anti-trans' websites and 'focussing on lots of Right-wing dark comedy'.


Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Immigration concerns hit highest level since just before Brexit vote, poll finds
Concern over immigration has surged to become the public's most pressing issue, according to polling. Nearly half the public view immigration as one of the biggest problems in the country – the highest proportion since just before the historic Brexit vote – a survey by Ipsos found. It was mentioned by 49 per cent of people asked to list the 'most pressing issues facing Britain today', up 15 percentage points on the previous month. At the time of the EU referendum in June 2016, immigration was mentioned by 48 per cent of people, Ipsos said. The survey showed concern over the NHS and healthcare rose to second place – mentioned by 34 per cent – while the economy dropped two places to become the third most-mentioned topic, at 33 per cent. The findings came from an Ipsos telephone survey of just over 1,000 adults carried out in the seven days from May 7. Ipsos director Mike Clemence said: 'The May Index shows British public concern about immigration reaching its highest level in almost a decade, far ahead of the NHS and economy… We have seen concern about immigration rise among groups who are traditionally more positive about immigration, as well as those who tend to be more concerned.' During the polling period Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned the country risked becoming an 'island of strangers' without moves to address immigration. He said high migration numbers had caused 'incalculable damage' to public services, housing and the economy. But he was accused of 'taking the public for fools' as he proposed an immigration crackdown after years of backing open borders. During the 2020 Labour leadership contest Sir Keir said that 'free movement has been hugely beneficial' and 'our immigration system should be welcoming and compassionate'. He also backed 'more safe and legal routes' for people to join family members in the UK rather than risking crossing the Channel by small boat. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper unveiled her immigration White Paper on May 12 which said the Government would curb judges' power to block deportations and reduce immigration to Britain by 98,000 a year. A few days later official figures showed asylum claims hit a record 109,000 in a year, while the number of foreign nationals extending their visas to stay in Britain surged to almost 1 million.