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Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has launched a scathing attack on the Labour Government’s Chagos Islands policy, calling the situation “absurd” during an appearance on GB News.<\/p>\n
Abbott questioned the logic behind Britain’s proposed payment for territory it already controls.<\/p>\n
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“Why do you have to buy what you’ve already got? If you already own it, why do you have to buy it?” he said.<\/p>\n
The ex-Australian leader emphasised Britain’s historical claim to the territory, noting: “Diego Garcia has been unquestionably British territory. Back in the 1960s, Britain paid \u00a33m to the Mauritians to secure this territory.”<\/p>\n
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Abbott delivered a stark dismissal of international court rulings on the Chagos issue.<\/p>\n
“They are not courts of justice. They are courts of politics. Often courts of politics driven by aggressive dictatorships with a hatred of the West,” he told GB News.<\/p>\n
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He challenged the basis for Britain’s proposed concessions to Mauritius, which stem from a non-binding international court decision.<\/p>\n
“Just because there was a non-binding decision by an international court some years ago, that does not mean Britain has to pay upwards of \u00a310bn to keep what it has always had,” Abbott stated.<\/p>\n
The former PM urged Britain to maintain its principles without submitting to international tribunals.<\/p>\n
The controversy comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces fresh turmoil over the Chagos agreement, with the former Mauritius PM who negotiated the deal now under arrest.<\/p>\n
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Pravind Jugnauth is facing money laundering charges after authorities reportedly found 114 million Mauritius Rupees – approximately \u00a32 million – at his residence.<\/p>\n
Under the proposed treaty, Britain would pay at least \u00a39 billion over 99 years to lease back Diego Garcia after handing sovereignty to Mauritius.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Ministers were forced to deny claims last month that the deal could cost \u00a318 billion, after the new Mauritian government suggested it had secured additional funding.<\/p>\n
The exact cost remains undisclosed, with ministers refusing to provide specific figures.<\/p>\n
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