Labour urged to ‘have courage' to trigger vote on Chagos deal
But the Conservative Party's shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti has called for a similar vote in the Commons.
'With the 21-day Crag (Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010) process about to conclude, it is a disgrace that Labour have breached the parliamentary conventions and denied this House a meaningful debate and vote on ratification,' she told MPs.
To accompany the treaty, MPs will need to sign off on a Bill to wind up the current governance of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).
The treaty will only come into force once the legislation is 'in place', according to the Government.
Yesterday dozens of Chagossians came to Parliament to tell us how they feel let down, neglected and betrayed by Labour's £30bn Chagos Surrender Treaty. Labour are denying them their rights and blocking the House of Commons from a meaningful debate and vote! @CllrABClarkson pic.twitter.com/482WEUkPPl
— Priti Patel MP (@pritipatel) July 1, 2025
Dame Priti added: 'Having a vote on the Bill is not the same as voting on the treaty under Crag. Earlier this week, the House of Lords – the other place – had a debate and vote where the Lib Dems sided with Labour in backing this £30 billion surrender treaty, which is subsidising tax cuts in Mauritius.
'So, why can't we have a debate and vote in this House? What are ministers afraid of?
'Are they afraid that their backbenchers, now worried about benefit cuts and the impact of unpopular tax rises, will question why so much money is being handed over for a territory that we own and force them into another embarrassing U-turn?'
Dame Priti urged ministers to 'scrap this treaty or at least have the courage to bring it here for a proper debate, full scrutiny, and finally, a vote in this House'.
Treaties are laid before Parliament before they are ratified, but there is no requirement for a debate or vote.
Peers in their vote, which Conservative shadow Foreign Office minister Lord Callanan triggered, agreed not to reject the treaty by 205 votes to 185, majority 20.
Responding, Stephen Doughty told the Commons he was 'disappointed by the tone' of Dame Priti's comments.
'I don't know who writes this stuff,' the Foreign Office minister said.
'I don't know whether it's just performative politics or rhetoric, I don't know what.
'But I should point out that I have received and answered over 100 written parliamentary questions from (Dame Priti), I've answered over 250 questions on this deal and the process in total.
'We've had no less than six urgent questions in this House. We have had two statements from this Government by the Foreign Secretary (David Lammy) and the Defence Secretary (John Healey).
'I personally briefed (Dame Priti) and answered many of her questions in my office just a couple of weeks ago in good faith and in detail, and indeed, I was subjected – quite rightly – to robust scrutiny not only from the Foreign Affairs Committee of this House, but also from the International Relations and Defence Committee in the other House, and indeed the International Arrangements Committee in great detail on these issues.'
Mr Doughty said a Bill would follow 'in due course' but added the deal with Mauritius, presented to Parliament in May, 'secures' the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, 'secures our national security and that of our allies'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
43 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
PM takes blame for welfare U-turn as he gives full backing to Chancellor
Sir Keir Starmer has taken responsibility for the U-turn on welfare reforms, saying his Government did not 'get the process right' as he gave his full backing to his Chancellor. Speaking to the BBC in his first interview since a threatened backbench revolt forced him to strip out a major part of his welfare reform plan, he acknowledged the past few days had been 'tough'. He said: 'Labour MPs are absolutely vested in this. It matters to them to get things like this right, and we didn't get that process right. We didn't engage in the way that we should have done.' But he insisted his Government would 'come through it stronger' as he vowed to 'reflect' on what needed to be done 'to ensure we don't get into a situation like that again'. Sir Keir also gave his full support to Chancellor Rachel Reeves after she was seen crying during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. Ms Reeves's visibly tearful appearance in the Commons came amid speculation that her job was at risk after the welfare U-turn put an almost £5 billion hole in her spending plans. But the Prime Minister insisted her appearance had 'nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with what's happened this week' and was 'a personal matter'. Asked if she would remain in her post, he said: 'She will be Chancellor for a very long time to come, because this project that we've been working on to change the Labour Party, to win the election, change the country, that is a project which the Chancellor and I've been working on together.' On Thursday morning, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Ms Reeves would 'bounce back' as he praised her 'leadership' on the economy. He also dismissed a suggestion that Sir Keir himself could be at risk, telling Sky News: 'Keir Starmer has been consistently underestimated. 'I wonder when people will learn. They said he couldn't win the Labour leadership, but he did. They said he couldn't change the Labour Party, but he did. They said he couldn't take the Labour Party from its worst defeat since the 1930s to election victory last year, and he did. 'And now the cynics say he can't change the country, but he will.' But Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said the scenes in the Commons over the past week had left bond markets 'twitchy' about the Government and 'their ability to actually grip things like spending going forward'. Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Sir Mel appeared to distance himself from Robert Jenrick, who had earlier posted a video on social media describing Ms Reeves's career as 'dead'. But he added that Mr Jenrick was making a 'valid' point that the Government had 'lost control of the economy', laying the blame with the Chancellor and Sir Keir and warning of tax rises to come.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Desperate Keir Starmer tries to stabilise Labour by vowing to make NHS a six-day service… but what happens if you get sick on Sunday?
Sir Keir Starmer is attempting to stablilise his rocky Labour administration by launching a new 10-year plan for the NHS. In what has swiftly become the PM's worst week in office so far - after he was forced to shelve key welfare reforms - Sir Keir will outline a major health shake-up. The Government is promising to deliver 'a brand-new era for the NHS' and 'one of the most seismic shifts in care in the history of the health service'. The '10 Year Health Plan' includes plans for the creation of a 'neighbourhood health service' to ease the strain on hospitals. New neighbourhood health services will be rolled out across the country to bring tests, post-op care, nursing and mental health teams closer to people's homes. The aim is to give people access to a full range of services, leaving hospitals to focus on the sickest, with neighbourhood health centres opening at evenings and weekends. Labour is promising new health centres to house the neighbourhood teams, which will eventually be open 12 hours a day, six days a week within local communities. But the plans appear to be less ambitious than pledges by previous governments to make the NHS a seven-day service, which were left unmet. Jeremy Hunt, the former Tory health secretary, saw doctors begin the first all-out strike in NHS history in 2016 as he tried to introduce a seven-day health service. Ex-Labour PM Gordon Brown also promised new health centres that would open seven days a week for 12 hours a day, but saw his plans resisted by unions. Sir Keir will use a major speech on Thursday to unveil his vision for the NHS, as he seeks to shift focus away from several chaotic days in Westminster. This saw him U-turn on welfare cuts amid the threat of a major revolt by Labour MPs, as well as scenes of Chancellor Rachel Reeves crying in the House of Commons. Writing for broadcaster LBC ahead of the speech, the PM said the Government is now moving to its 'next phase'. 'A major programme of renewal and rebuilding that will transform the entire country,' he added. 'Once again making Britain a nation where you work hard and reap the rewards. A Britain you feel proud to live in once again.' The new health plan sets out how the NHS will move from analogue to digital, treatment to prevention, and from hospital to more community care. The 'status quo of hospital by default will end', according to the Government, with care shifted into neighbourhoods and people's homes. By 2035, the intention is that the majority of outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals, with less need for hospital-based appointments for things like eye care, cardiology, respiratory medicine and mental health. New services will also include debt advice, employment support and stop smoking or obesity services – all of which affect people's health. Community outreach, with people going door to door, could also reduce pressure on GPs and A&E, the Government said. Ahead of the speech, Sir Keir said it was time for the health service to 'reform or die'. 'Our 10-year health plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people's doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place,' he added. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the plan would deliver 'one of the most fundamental changes in the way we receive our healthcare in history'.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Sir Keir Starmer 'didn't appreciate' how upset 'fine' Chancellor Rachel Reeves was during PMQs
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has addressed why he didn't publicly back Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Commons on Wednesday. Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, 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... Sir Keir Starmer said he did not appreciate how upset Chancellor Rachel Reeves was in the Commons, because he was focused on answering Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs). The Prime Minister said on Thursday all people could be caught 'off guard' by their emotions, but the Chancellor had to deal with it while on camera in Parliament. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He said she was doing an excellent job, would remain in place beyond the next general election, and that they were both absolutely committed to the Chancellor's 'fiscal rules' to maintain discipline over the public finances. UK Government bonds rallied and the pound steadied on Thursday, after reassurances from the Prime Minister about the Chancellor's future. Downing Street had said on Wednesday night that Ms Reeves was 'going nowhere', despite extraordinary scenes in the Commons in which Sir Keir had declined to publicly support his visibly tearful Chancellor. Reports emerged on Wednesday night that Ms Reeves had spoken of being being 'under so much pressure' before taking her seat for a highly-charged Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves, who sat by the Prime Minister's side on the front bench, looked distressed and could be seen on camera wiping tears from her face. The Chancellor's position has come under intense scrutiny in recent days after a major U-turn on welfare reform and the biggest rebellion of Sir Keir's premiership put an almost £5 billion dent in Ms Reeves' economic plans. Screen grab of Chancellor Rachel Reeves apparently crying during Prime Minister's Questions | PA Sir Keir told Virgin Radio he had spoken to the Chancellor on Wednesday evening and she was 'fine'. He said her tears were as a result of a 'purely personal' matter rather than the 'ups and downs of this week'. The Prime Minister said: 'I actually personally didn't appreciate it was happening in the Chamber, because I came in, I've got questions being fired at me in PMQs, so I'm constantly up at the despatch box and down. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think we just need to be clear, it's a personal matter, and I'm not going to breach Rachel's privacy by going into what's a personal matter for her.' Sir Keir said 'in politics, you're on show the whole time, there's no hiding place'. Ms Reeves was a 'great colleague, she's a friend of mine and I'll be working with her for a very long time to come'. 'But like all human beings, we're also personal,' Sir Keir said. 'There are moments that catch us off guard and if you're in front of a camera for large periods of your life, unfortunately, that could be caught on camera in a way, if it had been anybody else at work, it would have not really been noticed.' The Prime Minister had dodged questions during PMQs on Ms Reeves's future after being challenged by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch over whether Ms Reeves, whom she said looked 'absolutely miserable', would keep her job until the next election. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The scenes sparked an immediate dip in the markets, with the value of the pound and long-term government bonds slumping sharply in the hours afterwards. The pound slid by 1.14 per cent to 1.358 against the US dollar on Wednesday, after Sterling had risen to a fresh three-year high against the American currency a day earlier. The currency also fell by 0.8 per cent to 1.155 against the euro, striking its lowest level since April. The yield on government bonds jumped as investors appeared to be spooked by the scenes in the Commons, with the yield on ten-year gilts rising by 0.17 percentage points to 4.63 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Allies of Ms Reeves reacted by saying she was dealing with a 'personal matter', while No 10 later said the Chancellor had Sir Keir's 'full backing'. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was clearly emotional during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons (Picture: House of Commons/UK Parliament) | PA Asked about her tears, a spokesman for the Chancellor said: 'It's a personal matter, which, as you would expect, we are not going to get into. The Chancellor will be working out of Downing Street this afternoon.' Reports suggested Ms Reeves had been involved in an altercation with Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle shortly before PMQs. A spokeswoman for the Speaker said: 'No comment.' Asked why Sir Keir did not confirm in the Commons that he still had faith in Ms Reeves, the Prime Minister's press secretary told reporters: 'He has done so repeatedly. The Chancellor is going nowhere. She has the Prime Minister's full backing. He has said it plenty of times, he doesn't need to repeat it every time the Leader of the Opposition speculates about Labour politicians.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sir Keir, who stumbled on his way out of Downing Street for PMQs, faced questions over his handling of a welfare reform package that has been stripped of key elements to limit the scale of a Labour revolt. Changes to restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip) were abandoned on Tuesday just 90 minutes before MPs voted on them, wiping out the savings that Ms Reeves had counted on to help meet her goal of funding day-to-day spending through tax receipts rather than borrowing. Challenging Sir Keir at PMQs, Mrs Badenoch said Ms Reeves would now be forced to put up taxes 'to pay for his incompetence' and asked if she would still be chancellor at the next election. She told the Prime Minister: 'Labour MPs are going on the record saying that the Chancellor is toast, and the reality is that she is a human shield for his incompetence.' Sir Keir said: 'No prime minister or chancellor ever stands at the despatch box and writes budgets in the future.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Tory leader responded to say: 'Today the Prime Minister refused to back his Chancellor, leaving her humiliated. She is the human shield for his expensive U-turns. How can anyone be a chancellor for a man who doesn't know what he believes and who changes his mind every other minute?' In a video posted to X, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick declared the Chancellor's career was now dead after the 'embarrassing' welfare U-turn. As the Chancellor left the Commons after PMQs, her sister, Ellie Reeves, took her hand in an apparent show of support. Stephen Flynn, the SNP's Westminster leader, said: 'Like almost all MPs I don't know why the Chancellor was upset in the chamber today, but I do hope she is OK and back to her duties this afternoon. 'Seeing another person in distress is always very difficult and we are wishing her well.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Labour has promised that income tax, employee national insurance contributions and VAT will not be increased, restricting Ms Reeves' options for raising money if she does look to hike taxes. First Minister John Swinney described the UK Government's handling of welfare reforms as 'chaotic and shambolic', as he expressed concern for what the concessions could mean for the Scottish budget. Speaking during a visit to the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh yesterday, Mr Swinney said he welcomed the fact the original proposals had been dropped, saying they were 'completely and utterly unacceptable'. Scottish Government ministers are unlikely to pay a financial price for their failings, but they could pay a political one (Picture: Jane Barlow) | PA He said: 'The UK Government has essentially abandoned the heart of their welfare reform proposals, as a result of the chaotic and shambolic handling of the issue by the Labour government. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The credibility of that Labour government is now severely undermined as a consequence of what has happened.' Asked what the changes could mean for the Scottish Government, Mr Swinney said the situation would be monitored 'carefully' for any potential impact on the devolved budget. He said: 'I'm concerned about the implications of all of that. But it's clear to me that an agenda of punishing the vulnerable and those with disabilities is a completely unacceptable agenda, and I'm glad the House of Commons recognised that.' The First Minister also vowed he would not replicate the Pip changes in adult disability payment, which is the equivalent benefit north of the Border. Social Security Scotland is responsible for some welfare payments in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Institute for Fiscal Studies' incoming director, Helen Miller, said: 'Since departmental spending plans are now effectively locked in, and the government has already had to row back on planned cuts to pensioner benefits and working-age benefits, tax rises would look increasingly likely. This will doubtless intensify the speculation over the summer about which taxes may rise and by how much.' Speaking about the reaction of the markets, Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, said: 'If yields continue to rise at this pace for the next few days, the PM and Chancellor will have to decide if they want to have a sensible fiscal policy whereby public sector debt is reined in, or whether they want to please the Labour backbenches, who don't seem worried by rising debt levels and forget that we are in a new era, where bond investors can shun sovereign debt in favour of less risky, less indebted corporate debt.
