Falklands are safe in British hands, insists governor amid Chagos row

Chagos Islands
Chagos Islands

The Falklands are safe in British hands, the governor of the islands has insisted amid a row over the Chagos Islands.

It was announced on Thursday morning that Sir Keir Starmer had given up Chagos Islands, handing the Indian Ocean territory to Mauritius.

The islands were British-owned from 1814 but have now been signed away by the Government in a deal that it claimed would safeguard global security by ending a long-running dispute.

Alison Blake, the Governor of the Falklands Islands, said in a statement: “I am aware that there may be concerns, either amongst the Falkland Islands community or others, of potential read across to the Falkland Islands.

“I would like to reassure you that the legal and historical contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and the Falkland Islands are very different. UK ministers have been very clear throughout the process that the UK will not agree to anything that runs the risk of jeopardising sovereignty in other Overseas Territories.

“The UK Government remains committed to defending the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination, and the UK’s unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished.”


04:39 PM BST

That’s all for today...

Thank you for following our coverage of an unexpectedly busy day in recess as Sir Keir Starmer signed away the Chagos Islands and Rachel Reeves faced warnings over her upcoming Budget at the end of this month.

My colleague Genevieve Holl-Allen will be back early tomorrow to guide you through another day.


03:46 PM BST

A first FMQs

Russell Findlay, the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, made his debut at First Minister's Questions today
Russell Findlay, the new leader of the Scottish Conservatives, made his debut at First Minister’s Questions today - Lesley Martin

03:23 PM BST

Falklands are safe in British hands, insists governor amid Chagos row

The Falklands are safe in British hands, the governor of the islands has insisted amid a row over the Chagos Islands.

It was announced on Thursday morning that Sir Keir Starmer had given up Chagos Islands, handing the Indian Ocean territory to Mauritius.

The islands were British-owned from 1814 but have now been signed away by the Government in a deal that it claimed would safeguard global security by ending a long-running dispute.

Alison Blake, the Governor of the Falklands Islands, said in a statement: “I am aware that there may be concerns, either amongst the Falkland Islands community or others, of potential read across to the Falkland Islands.

“I would like to reassure you that the legal and historical contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and the Falkland Islands are very different. UK ministers have been very clear throughout the process that the UK will not agree to anything that runs the risk of jeopardising sovereignty in other Overseas Territories.

“The UK Government remains committed to defending the Falkland Islanders’ right of self-determination, and the UK’s unwavering commitment to defend UK sovereignty remains undiminished.”


03:04 PM BST

Labour gingers most powerful MPs in the party, jokes backbencher

This from Labour MP Charlotte Nichols on Rachel Reeves’s much-discussed new haircut:


02:52 PM BST

Labour: We inherited ‘legal car crash’ over Chagos Islands

A Labour source said: “Labour inherited a legal car crash that could have left this vital military base in the hands of the court, damaging the UK and the US’ national security.

“James Cleverly and the Tories tried and failed in 11 rounds of negotiations, putting our national security interests at risk. The new Government did the deal to secure the base and shut off a potential illegal migration route.

“You wouldn’t get the US President applauding the deal if it put US interests at risk.”


02:45 PM BST

Osborne: Reeves needs to deliver a ‘relaunch Budget’

Rachel Reeves needs to deliver a “relaunch Budget” in the wake of the scandals that have dogged the Government, George Osborne has said.

The former chancellor told his Political Currency podcast: “This Budget was supposed to be the five-year plan for the Starmer government and some tough decisions early on that would reap benefits later, politically and economically.

“The truth is, it’s becoming increasingly a relaunch Budget. The government is in such trouble politically, because of all the things we’ve been talking about.

“There’s a poll out this week that says [the government] is now more unpopular with the British people than the Sunak government it replaced. So this Budget now can’t just be about the long term. It’s got to be about the short term. It’s got to be about getting the government back on track.”


02:24 PM BST

Tugendhat takes swipe at Cleverly over Chagos

Tom Tugendhat has taken a swipe at his leadership rival James Cleverly over the Chagos Islands.

Mr Cleverly was the foreign secretary who announced negotiations with Mauritius would start in November 2022.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World at One this afternoon, Mr Tugendhat said: “This is another area where I’m afraid we see legalism replacing leadership and we saw this legalism in November ‘22 when the Foreign Office was pushing for this and nobody stopped it until, finally, we got leadership under Lord Cameron.”


02:06 PM BST

Telegraph View: Shorten the Tory leadership race

The Conservative Party conference ended in Birmingham with a leader’s speech, only we do not yet know who made it.

All four contenders for the post acquitted themselves well after being given 20 minutes apiece to make their pitch. It was the culmination of a frenetic few days of campaigning with the quartet clocking up scores of meetings, speeches and glad-handing in a bid to persuade as many people as possible of their suitability.

No one emerged from the pack as a clear winner, unlike in 2005 when David Cameron, previously an outsider, made his mark and went on to win.

The template of that election has been used here with a lengthy period between Rishi Sunak’s resignation announcement and the conclusion on November 2. This means that the new leader will be installed three days after the Budget, which is intended to be the foundation stone of the Labour Government’s entire strategy. This is absurd.

Telegraph View: Time to change the rules to get a new leader in place


01:52 PM BST

Braverman: Lammy is China’s ‘useful idiot’

Suella Braverman has called David Lammy “China’s useful idiot”.

She said of the Chagos Islands handover: “This is a shameful decision. Starmer’s reckless capitulation over the Chagos Islands severely undermines UK national security.

“We all knew Lammy was weak but now it’s official: he’s China’s useful idiot too.

“A dark day for our country’s sovereignty.”


01:43 PM BST

Labour is weakening UK influence, warns Badenoch


01:25 PM BST

Farage: Giving up Chagos Islands a ‘strategic disaster’

Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, told The Telegraph: “Giving up the Chagos Islands is a strategic disaster.

“Our American allies will be furious and Beijing delighted. Labour are making the world a more dangerous place.”


01:14 PM BST

EU could die, warns Macron

The EU “could die” unless it makes itself more competitive with the US and China, Emmanuel Macron has warned.

The French president said the bloc was over-regulating and under-investing at the Berlin Global Dialogue event.

Washington and Beijing both outstripped the EU in economic output and investment, he said, before calling on the bloc to complete its banking union package of financial rules.

James Crisp, our Europe Editor, has more


12:47 PM BST

Biden: Chagos deal will be ‘mutually beneficial’

The agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands has been welcomed by Joe Biden, the President of the United States, who said it would lead to “peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.”

Mr Biden said: “I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of the negotiations between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the status of the Chagos Archipelago.

“It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.

“This agreement affirms Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, while granting the United Kingdom the authority to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius with respect to Diego Garcia. 

“Diego Garcia is the site of a joint U.S.-UK military facility that plays a vital role in national, regional, and global security. It enables the United States to support operations that demonstrate our shared commitment to regional stability, provide rapid response to crises, and counter some of the most challenging security threats we face. The agreement secures the effective operation of the joint facility on Diego Garcia into the next century.

“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Mauritius and the United Kingdom in upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific.”


12:38 PM BST

Weight-loss jabs offered to over a million NHS patients for first time

Weight-loss jabs will be rolled out across the NHS for the first time in an effort to tackle obesity.

Health officials have announced plans to offer injections of Mounjaro - the most effective on the market - to 1.6 million people.

NHS England proposed that the jabs should first go to those likely to achieve the greatest clinical benefit.

This means they will first be offered to the most obese people, with the most health conditions.

Laura Donnelly has more here


12:23 PM BST

John Healey defends decision to hand over Chagos Islands

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, defended the decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on Thursday afternoon.

He said: “This historic agreement highlights the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific. The UK-US base on Diego Garcia has a vital role in protecting our interests.

“By providing long-term sovereignty over Diego Garcia, this treaty secures continued operation of this major military base.”

The Foreign Office said the UK will be “authorised to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius on Diego Garcia”.


12:16 PM BST

Your views on Starmer giving up the Chagos Islands


11:59 AM BST

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11:42 AM BST

Tory anger over Chagos Islands handover

Tory leadership contenders have shared their fury after Sir Keir Starmer handed the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

James Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, said: “Weak, weak, weak. Labour lied to get into office.

“Said they’d be whiter than white, said they wouldn’t put up taxes, said they’d stand up to the EU, said that they be patriotic. All lies.”

Tom Tugendhat, the shadow security minister, added: “This is a shameful retreat undermining our security and leaving our allies exposed.

“The Foreign Office has negotiated against Britain’s interest and it was disgraceful that these negotiations started under our watch.”

And Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, said: “It’s taken three months for Starmer to surrender Britain’s strategic interests. This is a dangerous capitulation that will hand our territory to an ally of Beijing.”


11:12 AM BST

Britain gives up Chagos Islands

Britain has given up the Chagos Islands and handed the Indian Ocean territory to Mauritius.

The islands were British-owned from 1814 but have now been signed away by Sir Keir Starmer’s Government.

They include Diego Garcia, which hosts a strategically important US-UK military base.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said in a statement on Thursday that the agreement would still secure the “vital” military base for future use.


10:56 AM BST

Top Labour donor expects an honour, claims estranged wife

The estranged wife of a top Labour donor has claimed he is expecting an honour from Sir Keir Starmer - but is trying to rush through their divorce so she does not get a title of her own.

Dale Vince, the green energy tycoon who previously bankrolled Just Stop Oil, has given more than £5 million to the Labour Party since 2020.

His wife, Kate Vince, has now accused him of finalising their divorce in “haste” as he expects to receive a peerage or knighthood from Sir Keir Starmer and wishes to prevent her from acquiring a title through marriage.

Lawyers acting for Mrs Vince also told the High Court divorce hearing that the eco-businessman had been “generous with someone else’s money” and “diminished the matrimonial assets” by donating to Labour.

Samuel Montgomery has the story


10:35 AM BST

It’s correct that people should assimilate, says Tony Blair

Sir Tony Blair was asked about Kemi Badenoch’s remarks that not all cultures are “equally valid”.

The former prime minister told Politico: “It’s correct that people should assimilate into the common values. So, your cultural space is a space rich in diversity where you can pursue your own culture in what you do and the celebrations you have and the ceremonies you have and the faith you have.

“All of that’s absolutely fine. But when it comes to basic rules about democracy or, for example in our country now, rules about the role of women or people who are gay being entitled to equality, that’s not up for argument.

“You integrate with those things and it’s really important because otherwise you end up with the situation where people often say multiculturalism failed. No multiculturalism didn’t fail. There’s not a problem with most communities in the UK.”


10:20 AM BST

Blair: Starmer should ‘rise above’ freebie row

Sir Tony Blair has urged Sir Keir Starmer to “rise above” the freebies row.

The former prime minister told a Politico podcast: “Dealing with politics at this level when you come under attack, which is, you know, it’s just the way it is. You’re going to have to get used to it.

“It’s going to be like that. But the single most important thing is always to have a driving purpose as a Government.

“That is constantly rising above that because it will be, it is just part of modern politics today… It doesn’t worry me in, in terms of whether it can displace the overall [mission] of the government. But I agree you’ve got to deal with it and they’re trying to deal with it so, let them deal with it.”


09:49 AM BST

Young people targeted to become magistrates

Young people are being targeted to become magistrates in a new recruitment campaign to help clear court backlogs.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) wants to recruit up to 2,500 new magistrates and is prioritising “younger and working-age people” to boost diversity and under-represented groups in a campaign launched today.

It would take the number of magistrates to 17,000 as Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, prepares to increase their powers to help reduce the number of cases waiting to come to court.

Officials believe that extending magistrates’ powers to sentence offenders from the current six months to one year, which would allow them to handle more serious cases, could ease the prison overcrowding crisis.

Charles Hymas, our Home Affairs Editor, has the full story here


09:39 AM BST

Minister wants to repay value of Proms ticket

A business minister has said she wants to repay the value of a gift from the BBC after Sir Keir Starmer returned more than £6,000 in donations and hospitality.

Sarah Jones, the industry minister, received a ticket to the BBC Proms over the summer as a guest of the broadcaster.

Ms Jones told Times Radio: “From a perspective of did I declare everything, was I doing this loads of times, was I kind of out and all the time taking freebies, was I giving anybody anything for these things, it was all completely above board.

“But if I look at it through the lens that the public is now looking at it, and the question we’re talking about, for what purpose I’m going to those events, I’m not going to go to another event like that that I’m invited to.”

Asked whether she would pay it back, Ms Jones replied: “I’m not sure I could but I will certainly look at that, yeah. The issue of the Proms that I’ve been to, I am just investigating whether I could pay that back.”


09:20 AM BST

‘Rosie Duffield has wounded Starmer more than he knows’

When the news broke that Rosie Duffield MP had resigned the Labour whip, I was unfortunately indisposed (attending a stand-up comedy gig) and so was unable to pen an immediate response to her shock departure, writes Tom Harris.

The dust has now settled, and it looks very unlikely other Labour MPs will follow Duffield’s example.

That was always doubtful, but it would be wrong to dismiss the Canterbury MP’s long-term impact on the government’s fortunes.

Rosie Duffield
Rosie Duffield

The key lesson to be learned from Duffield’s actions and her excoriating letter of resignation is that, whether or not her former Labour colleagues in the Commons agree with her in public, many of them do in private.

You did not have to walk far within the conference hall at Labour’s party conference in Liverpool last week to come upon a fretful, frustrated backbencher panicked at the unfolding donor scandal.

Tom Harris: Labour MPs will not forget that letter anytime soon


09:04 AM BST

Lord Alli ‘confident’ he has done nothing wrong, says minister

Sarah Jones, a business minister, said Lord Alli was “confident” he had done nothing wrong.

The Labour peer is under investigation by the Lords’ commissioner over “alleged non-registration of interests” leading to a possible breach of the members’ code of conduct.

“He will completely cooperate with that investigation, of course, and he’s confident he’s registered everything in the way that he should have done. And that’s that, really. We need to let that investigation run its course.”

Ms Jones added: “You know he’s been a Lord for decades and he’s been very involved in trying to deliver a Labour Government for a very long time.

“It’s why he made the donations he did, because he was helping us to do that... I don’t think there was any question over whether he was trying to influence anything other than to deliver a Labour Government.”

She said Lord Alli was also involved in Labour’s 1997 campaign, insisting the party was “very grateful” for his donations but he “is not influencing any policy at all”.


08:54 AM BST

Minister: Difference between accepting gifts in government and opposition

Sarah Jones, the industry minister, has said she will not accept hospitality for events in future after previously attending the Proms as a guest of the BBC.

Ms Jones told Times Radio: “There is a difference between government and opposition when you’re building relationships in opposition.

“It’s different for when you’re a government minister with real levers of power. And we need to make that distinction.

She added: “There is this difference, I think, which is an important one between opposition and government.”


08:36 AM BST

Government charters more flights to help Britons leave Lebanon

The Government has chartered more flights from Lebanon to help British nationals leave the country as the situation continues to deteriorate.

To meet the demand for the charter flight yesterday, additional flights will depart from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport from today, the Foreign Office said.

It added that the flights would continue “for as long as the security situation allows”.

David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, said: “Recent events have demonstrated the volatility of the situation in Lebanon.

“The safety of British nationals in Lebanon continues to be our number one priority. That’s why we are announcing additional chartered flights to help those who want to leave.

“I urge all British nationals still in Lebanon to register with the FCDO and leave the country immediately.”


08:33 AM BST

‘We’re on the brink of World War Three – and only one country can stop it’

If you crave peace, a war against Iran will be necessary first, writes Allister Heath.

If you want to avert a nuclear apocalypse, Iran’s atomic programme must be obliterated. If you long for a better, saner world, Iran’s repugnant theocrats need to be extirpated.

Israel must be allowed to attack Iran’s evil regime, and the West must support it. The regime is the original Islamist extremist state; it is the fount of almost all trouble in the Middle East, the foremost exporter of terrorism, an ally of Russia, a friend of China, a cancer eating away at humanity’s common destiny.

The regime has oppressed its wonderful, peace-loving people for 45 years, often in the most savage ways, pitilessly persecuting women and minorities.

The West, wracked by self-doubt, ignorance, selfishness and cowardice, has been willfully blind to their pleas for deliverance. We have instead attempted to appease the Mullahs, to relativise or normalise their genocidal machinations, to sign deals with them, to protect the oil market, to endlessly buy time.

Allister Heath: Iran must be crushed. It presents an intolerable threat


08:11 AM BST

Labour MPs ‘scared for their jobs’ over Israel

Labour MPs who disagree with Sir Keir Starmer on the Israel-Hamas conflict are “scared for their jobs”, a now-independent backbencher has claimed.

Zarah Sultana, currently suspended from the party for six months after defying Sir Keir over the two-child benefit cap, was asked how many Labour colleagues agreed with her pro-Palestinian stance.

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Many do, because we are seeing death of 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza. We are seeing death in Lebanon and we know the UK government could take a different route where it prioritised lives, treated them all equally and ended all arms sales.

Zarah Sultana
Zarah Sultana

“I think it’s deeply concerning that people aren’t willing to be public about that because they are scared for their jobs.”

Nick Robinson, a Today programme presenter, said he had contacted six sitting Labour MPs but added: “None would come on the programme as they said, and I quote one of the MPs we contacted, ‘it would cost us our jobs’.”


08:01 AM BST

Pound falls sharply after Andrew Bailey comments

The value of the pound dropped sharply after the Governor of the Bank of England said interest rate cuts could become a “bit more aggressive”.

Sterling sank as much as 0.8pc to fall below $1.32 for the first time in a fortnight after Andrew Bailey said policymakers could become “a bit more activist” about lowering borrowing costs.

The pound dropped as low as $1.317 after the comments in the Guardian, which come as inflation stands at 2.2pc, which is slightly above the Bank of England’s 2pc target.

Traders have priced in that the Bank of England will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point from 5pc to 4.75pc in November.

Read more from our business team here


07:55 AM BST

Kuenssberg cancels Boris interview after she sent him her briefing notes

The BBC has been forced to cancel a Laura Kuenssberg interview with Boris Johnson after she sent him her briefing notes “by mistake”, writes Anita Singh.

Kuenssberg was due to meet the former Prime Minister for an interview to be broadcast on BBC One on Thursday night.

But in a statement on X, she announced: “While prepping to interview Boris Johnson tomorrow, by mistake I sent our briefing notes to him in a message meant for my team. That obviously means it’s not right for the interview to go ahead.

“It’s very frustrating, and there’s no point pretending it’s anything other than embarrassing and disappointing, as there are plenty of important questions to be asked. But red faces aside, honesty is the best policy. See you on Sunday.”

Full story: BBC presenter admits she is ‘red faced’ over Johnson interview


07:43 AM BST

Starmer isn’t in politics to be popular, says minister

Sarah Jones, the industry minister, was asked whether the freebies row had damaged Sir Keir Starmer’s Government.

“Clearly this has been a big story in the news, it’s clearly been something that we are addressing, the Prime Minister is addressing.

“He wants to put trust back in politics, he wants to respond to people, he wants to build a country that everyone can prosper in and that’s what he’s doing. He will do the right thing... He has not broken any rules, he is looking again at the principles around gifts and hospitality. That’s the right thing to do.”

Sir Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer

Pressed on Sir Keir’s unpopularity, Ms Jones said: “He is not going to be worrying about popularity. He hasn’t gone into politics to do that. But he is really clear that we need to build trust in politicians and politics.

“We are going to go govern in the way that we say we were, which is to drive up integrity, grow the economy and improve people’s lives, and make sure we listen to the public.”


07:39 AM BST

Labour: Starmer ‘showing leadership’ by repaying £6,000 in gifts

Sir Keir Starmer is “showing leadership” after he paid back more than £6,000 of gifts that were about to be made public, a minister has insisted.

The Prime Minister covered the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four horse racing tickets for Doncaster and clothing loaned to his wife.

Asked whether Sir Keir had done the right thing, Sarah Jones told Sky: “He said we need to have a look at the principles that sit behind the Ministerial Code.

“We’re looking at those and in advance of that going out he has paid back some of the tickets, some of the payments he had during his time as Prime Minister, and I think that is a thing he is doing in advance of looking at his principles and the code.”

Challenged on why he had not repaid his Arsenal tickets, Ms Jones said: “I don’t know the details of it. All of it is I know he has paid some payments back… It’s the right thing to do. Nobody is suggesting he’s broken any rules.”

“I think it’s good that we’re looking at those roles, as I say nobody’s broken any rules that exist at the moment. It’s somebody that nobody is suggesting. I think under the last government the issue was all about transparency.”


07:36 AM BST

Minister urges ‘proportionate’ response by Israel

Israel must be “proportionate” in its response to Iran, a minister has said.

Asked whether the Government agreed with Joe Biden that Israel should not attack Israeli nuclear facilities, Sarah Jones, an industry minister, told Sky: “It’s not for me to say.

“But he was clear that there should be no attack on that level, that it should be proportionate and there should be no attack on that level.”

Ms Jones was asked for a second time whether Britain agreed with the United States and would not support Israel targeting nuclear facilities in Iran.

“I think we would call for proportionality in the same way that President Biden has and he has been talking to all the G7 countries. We are talking to them together as allies and it’s important that we send that message that it’s a very difficult situation.

“Of course we understand that after the attacks from Iran, Israel has a right to defend itself but we want that to be proportionate and we want to make sure we are doing all we can through diplomacy to de-escalate.”


07:17 AM BST

Nigel Farage: Jenrick is just trying to copy me

Nigel Farage has claimed “charisma-free” Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick is just trying to copy him.

The Reform leader made the comments after a speech by Mr Jenrick yesterday in which he set out a five-point plan for Britain which included leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

The Tory conference address by the former immigration minister also included promises to reduce migration to the tens of thousands or lower and mount a staunch defence of British national identities.

Mr Farage told his GB News programme: “Now, when it comes to Jenrick, the great Brexiteer who voted Remain, I mean, basically, he’s trying to be Nigel Farage.

“Now look, if you want, Robert, lessons in being Nigel Farage, I’m very happy to coach you.

“So of course, in terms of policy, I agree with a lot of what he said myself, but I frankly thought he was a bit of a charisma free zone.”


07:15 AM BST

Good morning

Dominic Penna here, The Telegraph’s Political Correspondent, guiding you through the day.

It is still quiet here in Westminster with MPs yet to return from the conference recess but the aftermath of yesterday’s Tory leadership speeches could well have caused a significant shift in the contest.