Lammy sent legal letter over ‘misleading parliament’ on Chagos as Cleverly doubles down on criticism

His predecessor James Cleverly compounded his earlier criticism.

Mr. Lamb and the legal letter were quoting his statement that the government had kept the Chagossians fully informed about what was happening throughout the entire process.

It comes as the previous Conservative foreign secretary has argued that Labour ministers have "put themselves in a very vulnerable negotiating position" during negotiations.

Every Monday he "always made sure certain key boundaries were established" during negotiations.

I've always made it clear what would and wouldn't be acceptable in any deal, and I wouldn't have agreed to anything that infringed upon those boundaries.

“Over the course of a year, I wasn't able to reach an agreement that I was happy with, which is why a contract wasn't reached,” he said.

He later stated that he wasn't aware of the specifics "but it's definitely obvious that Labour has dramatically shifted the UK's position, and they've not disclosed what this new stance is."

“It's evident that they have placed themselves in a quite vulnerable state of negotiation, which is why the Mauritian side keeps returning for additional financial assistance and concessions.”

A Downing Street spokesperson stated, however, that "throughout this process, the government's top priority has always been to safeguard UK and US strategic interests. That's precisely what the agreement on Diego Garcia achieves".

A formal legal letter has been sent to Mr Lammy, requiring him to rectify the situation after comments he made were found to be "demonstrably incorrect" by the group, whose members are indigenous people from island communities.

It advocates the government to hold "genuine dialogue with the Chagossian people", as opposed to making "decisions that are perceived to be politically advantageous".

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The group contends that they have not had a meeting with Mr Lammy, and that Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty, who has met with them twice since the agreement was reached, declined to discuss the talks.

The government claims to have been in touch with Chagossians at both official and ministerial levels throughout negotiations, but the letter alleges a "lack of focus, agenda, or indeed information provided to those individuals directly impacted by the decisions made by the British government without proper consultation".

The harsh truth of the situation is that a considerable number of individuals have been deliberately left out.

The statement asserts that the government has not provided a response to two letters written on 18th October and 8th November, which equally called for increased interaction with indigenous people.

The foreign secretary has previously stated that "it is difficult to convey a single view" from the Chagossians due to their diverse locations, including the Seychelles, Mauritius, and the United Kingdom, and has indicated that the government will continue to give them its full support.

Following the riots in Port Louis, demands have been made by the new Mauritian government for further concessions from Britain.

Indicate your text to paraphrase.

Last week, Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois averred that the agreement " staggers from one crisis to another", wit: "If David Lammy had any sense, he would put his foot down and abandon the whole preposterous plan before it's too late."

However, Mr Lammy stresses that it's "a good deal" which ensures the long-term future of the airbase is secure. He has also noted that the International Court of Justice concluded that the islands belong to Mauritius.

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We acknowledge the significance of the islands to the Chagossians and have made a concerted effort to have their interests represented in this agreement. The UK government, under both the past and present leadership, has been in continuous dialogue with Chagossians at both official and ministerial levels during the prolonged negotiations, which began in November 2022.

As part of the agreement, we are setting up a new fund for Mauritius to support the Chagossian community. We will collaborate with Mauritius on a new visit programme for Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. Mauritius also has the freedom to establish a resettlement scheme on the islands, with the exception of Diego Garcia.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for a statement.

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