David Lammy is under mounting pressure over the government’s Chagos deal after he was sent a legal letter accusing him of misleading the House of Commons and his predecessor James Cleverly doubled down on criticism.
The letter, seen by The Independent, was sent to the foreign secretary by campaign group Chagossian Voices the day after Labour MP Peter Lamb claimed there is “certainly evidence” that statements made in the Commons by Mr Lammy “do not appear to be true”. Both Mr Lamb and the legal letter were referring to his claim that the government “kept the Chagossians informed all along the way”.
It comes as the former Conservative foreign secretary claimed Labour ministers had “put themselves in a very weak negotiating position” during talks.
open image in galleryDavid Lammy has been urged to correct the record (REUTERS)
Mr Cleverly, who was in charge at the FCDO when negotiations first opened in 2022, told Times Radio on Monday he “always made sure that certain red lines were in place” during talks.
“Negotiating is one thing, but I always made sure that certain red lines were in place and if the negotiations crossed those red lines then I wouldn’t have accepted a deal.
“And, indeed, over a year’s worth of talks I did not get to a position that I was comfortable with, which is why I never signed off a deal”, he said.
He later said he did not know numbers and details of what Labour has put forward “but it’s clear that they have changed the UK position dramatically, and they haven’t told us what.
“It’s clear that they have put themselves in a very weak negotiating position, which is why Mauritius keep coming back for more money and more concessions.”
The legal letter demands Mr Lammy correct the record after making statements the group, which represents indigenous people originating from the islands, claimed were “demonstrably incorrect”.
open image in galleryFormer home secretary James Cleverly has criticised the Chagos deal (PA Wire)
It also urges the government to conduct “actual engagement with the Chagossian peoples”, rather than “simply taking decisions that are thought to be politically expedient.”
The latest development comes just days after The Independent revealed that Chagossian Voices has instructed lawyers to challenge the controversial Chagos deal.
The group argues they have not met with Mr Lammy and that Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty, who has met with them twice since the deal was agreed, refused to discuss the negotiations.
While the government insists it has been engaged with Chagossians at both official and ministerial level throughout the talks, the letter says there was a “lack of focus, agenda or indeed information offered to those individuals directly affected by decisions taken by the British government, and decisions taken without proper consultation”.
“The simple reality of the matter is that a not insignificant number of people have been entirely ignored”, the letter reads.
It also claims that the government has failed to respond to two letters sent on October 18 and November 8, which also demanded more engagement with indigenous people.
open image in galleryDiego Garcia airbase on the Chagos Islands grew in strategic importance after 9/11 (PA)
The foreign secretary has previously argued that “it is hard to get one view” from the Chagossians as there are “Chagossians in the Seychelles, in Mauritius and in the United Kingdom”, saying the government “will continue to do all we can to support them”.
The government’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands – including the UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia – to Mauritius has been plagued by issues since it was announced in October, with concerns Donald Trump could veto the deal and the new Mauritian government demanding further concessions from Britain.
Critics of the deal are concerned about the future of the airbase on Diego Garcia, and also the potential for China to gain access to the islands.
Last week, shadow armed forces minister, Mark Francois, said the agreement “staggers from one disaster to another”, adding: “If David Lammy had any sense he would stop digging and abandon the whole bonkers plan, sooner rather than later.”
However, Mr Lammy has insisted that it is “a good deal” which secures the long-term future of the airbase. He has also pointed out that the International Court of Justice ruled that the islands belong to Mauritius.
Last week, a government spokesperson told The Independent: “The negotiations were between the UK and Mauritius with our priority being to secure the full operation of the base on Diego Garcia.
“We recognise the importance of the islands to Chagossians and have worked to ensure this agreement reflects their interests. The UK government, under both the previous and current administration, has been engaged with Chagossians at both official and ministerial level during negotiations which first started in November 2022.
“As part of the agreement, we will finance a new trust fund for Mauritius to use in support of the Chagossian community. We will work with Mauritius to start a new programme of visits for Chagossians to the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. And Mauritius will be free to develop a programme of resettlement on the islands, other than Diego Garcia.”
The FCDO has been contacted for comment.