Nigel Farage claims Trump team ‘appalled’ by Chagos Islands deal – as it happened

Farage claims Trump workforce ‘appalled’ by Chagos Islands deal and that it will collapse like cope with China over Hong Kong did

Again within the Commons, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK chief and Donald Trump ally, has renewed his declare that the Trump workforce are strongly against the UK’s choice to switch sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Talking throughout the Commons pressing query on the subject, he mentioned:

I’ve been contacted by very senior officers and advisers from the incoming Republican administration, and each single one among them is appalled at this deal. They know the leasehold settlement [under which the UK would retain effective control of Diego Garcia, the main island on the Chagos Islands, housing the UK-US airbase, for at least 99 years] won’t survive, simply because the cope with China over Hong Kong didn’t survive.

Hasn’t the time come the federal government to confess it is a rotten deal for the UK, a rotten deal for America and an excellent worse deal for the Chagossians.

And if you happen to care a lot concerning the sovereignty of the Falklands being within the fingers of the Falkland Islanders, why not have a referendum of the Chagossians and ask them to settle who ought to have sovereignty over these islands?

In response, Luke Pollard, the defence minister, accused Farage of “whipping up uncertainty” about the way forward for the Falkland Islands. And he mentioned that when Individuals examined the detal of the deal, they might see it secured the way forward for the Diego Garcia base.

Up to date at 11.26 EST

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Early night abstract

Keir Starmer has mentioned he desires to see “the whole rewiring of the British state to ship daring and bold long-term reform” – whereas saying that Sir Chris Wormald, seen as one of many extra typical shortlisted candidates, would be the subsequent cupboard secretary.

Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, has printed new particulars of why the final authorities’s Rwanda deportation coverage value £715m – though solely 4 individuals ever ended up going there, as volunteers. (See 5.35pm.)

Downing Road has performed down claims that Keir Starmer’s bold targets to chop ready lists for routine operations, attributable to be introduced in a serious ‘plan for change’ speech on Thursday, might result in different elements of the NHS dropping out. (See 1.06pm.)

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK chief, has repeated his declare that Donald Trump’s workforce are “appalled” by the British authorities’s deal transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. He additionally claimed that over time the deal would disintegrate, simply because the Sino-British Joint Declaration supposedly guaranteeing Hong Kong sure rights for 50 years after the 1997 handover has been deserted. (See 4.23pm.)

Keir Starmer and his spouse Victoria Starmer on the official lighting of the Christmas tree outdoors No 10 this night. {Photograph}: Leon Neal/Getty Photos

Kemi Badenoch will not decide to reviving Rwanda coverage as a result of she is aware of it was ‘con’, says Cooper

Chris Philp, the shadow house secretary, urged Yvette Cooper to revive the Rwanda coverage.

Responding to her Commons assertion, he mentioned:

Behind all of the bluster and all of the chat about earlier governments, we see her document and her authorities’s document. A 64% enhance in small boat crossings for the reason that similar interval earlier than the election, 6,000 further individuals in accommodations, the asylum backlog up by 11,000, all for the reason that 4th of July.

We see the Rwanda deterrent, which the Nationwide Crime Company and even Ursula von der Leyen says is critical, cancelled by this authorities earlier than it even began, so I name on her to assume once more on these points.

However Cooper, the house secretary, mentioned that Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative chief, received’t decide to bringing again the coverage as a result of she is aware of it’s flawed. Cooper mentioned:

A lot do they know that this was a complete failure, that their chief, their newly elected chief, received’t even promise to reinstate it. As a result of she is aware of the entire thing was a con.

Covid 19 Bereaved Households for Justice UK condemn appoinment of Wormald as cupboard secretary

The Covid 19 Bereaved Households for Justice UK group, which represents the relations of people that died throughout the pandemic, has condemned the appointment of Chris Wormald as the brand new cupboard secretary. In its assertion it mentioned:

It’s unbelievably irritating and worrisome to see the federal government appoint Sir Christopher Wormald to probably the most senior civil service place within the UK, given his function on the head of the Division for Well being and Social Care at a time when the NHS turned utterly overwhelmed, healthcare employees had been despatched to work with out enough PPE and lied to about it, and the UK suffered the 2nd highest loss of life toll in Western Europe.

Again and again Christopher Wormald has refused within the UK Covid inquiry to simply accept failures on behalf of the Division of Well being and Social Care, regardless of irrefutable proof on the contrary, backed up by the experiences of everybody within the UK throughout the pandemic.

Christopher Wormald failed to organize the Division for Well being and Social Look after the pandemic, regardless of a pandemic being solely foreseeable. Now he has been given accountability for the disaster preparedness throughout the federal government. Both these in cost don’t take the failures throughout the pandemic critically sufficient, or they fail to spot the significance of preparedness and resilience forward of the subsequent disaster.

On the Covid inquiry final week counsel for the group, Allison Munroe KC, mentioned Wormald’s proof to the inquiry was “an object lesson in obfuscation”. (See 2.37pm.)

Cooper publishes full particulars of Tory Rwanda coverage prices, together with funds as much as £170,000 per particular person

In her assertion to MPs Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, mentioned she is right now publishing particulars of the £700m spent by the final authorities on the Rwanda deportation scheme. She mentioned:

Within the two years the partnership was in place, simply 4 volunteers had been despatched to Rwanda at a price of £700m kilos.

The House Workplace has now printed the costings doc, which supplies new particulars of a few of the prices incurred with the scheme. Here’s a desk setting out why the scheme value £700m. It covers prices regarding the Migration and Financial Improvement Partnership (MEDP), the cope with Rwanda, and and prices regarding the Unlawful Migration Act (IMA), the laws that may have allowed the UK to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda with out contemplating their claims.

Breakdown of prices of Rwanda coverage {Photograph}: House Workplace

The doc additionally mentioned that, below the cope with Rwanda, the UK would have paid the Rwandan £150,000 over 5 years for each single asylum seeker they accepted. This cash would have coated residing prices and asylum processing prices. Funds would have stopped if an asylum seeker left Rwanda early, however even then there would have been a one-off fee of £10,000. The doc explains:

Funds to cowl asylum processing and operational prices for people relocated to Rwanda. The House Workplace agreed to pay a five-year integration bundle for every relocated individual, which covers lodging, important objects corresponding to meals, medical companies, schooling and different integration programmes. These funds can probably final for 5 years and whole £150,874 per particular person, with the entire annual fee reducing over the five-year interval:

-12 months 1: £45,262 (this consists of £11,000 for the asylum evaluation)

-12 months 2: £37,718

-12 months 3: £30,175

-12 months 4: £22,632

-12 months 5: £15,087

Underneath the settlement, if a relocated particular person determined to depart Rwanda, the UK would cease funds for that particular person however would pay the Authorities of Rwanda a one-off £10,000 per particular person to assist facilitate their voluntary departure.

These funds would have been along with different lump sum funds made below the scheme. The UK has already paid £290m to Rwanda below this listening to, however future funds have been stopped. The doc explains:

Funds to the Financial Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF), which had been designed to help financial development in Rwanda. These are mounted money funds and had been due whereas the settlement was in power. An additional £100 million of ETIF funds would have been due below the Treaty, £50 million in every of the subsequent two monetary years 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027. As well as, the House Workplace was liable to pay ‘quantity set off’ ETIF fee of £120 million upon the switch of 300 individuals to Rwanda. A per individual ETIF fee would even have been made at £20,000 per individual.

The reference to a per individual ETIF pyament in that last sentence means Rwanda would have been getting £170,000 per particular person over 5 years, along with the massive lump sum funds.

Cooper says Labour was left ‘shameful’ legacy on immigration by Tories

Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, began her statment to MPs with a abstract of the legacy she inherited. It was “shameful”, she mentioned.

During the last 5 years, controls within the immigration and asylum methods crumbled, authorized and unlawful migration each considerably elevated, the backlog from the asylum system soared and enforcement of fundamental guidelines fell aside.

Web migration quardrupled in simply 4 years to a document excessive of almost 1,000,000 individuals, and it’s nonetheless greater than 3 times larger than in 2019.

Harmful small boat crossings rose from 300 individuals in 2018 to a mean of whole 36,000 a 12 months within the final three years, a 120-fold enhance. And in just some brief years, a complete legal smuggling business constructed round boat crossings has been allowed to take maintain alongside the UK border.

The price of the asylum system has additionally quardruped to £4bn. In 2019 there have been no asylum accommodations. 5 years on, there are greater than 200.

Returns of these with no proper to be listed below are 30% under [the figures in] 2010. Asylum-related returns are down by 20% in comparison with 14 years in the past. That’s the legacy that we inherited from the earlier authorities, one which former ministers have themselves admitted to be shameful.

Within the Commons Yvette Cooper, the house secretary, is making an announcement about immigration. It follows the publication of recent web migration figures final week, and the announcement of a cope with Iraq designed to cut back irregular migration from that nation.

Tim Leunig, an economist and an adviser to the final authorities in varied roles, has posted this on Bluesky concerning the new cupboard secretary, Chris Wormald.

Delighted that Chris Wormald has been appointed as Cupboard Secretary. Intelligent, dedicated, strategic, principled and with a very good understanding of politicians.

Farage claims Trump workforce ‘appalled’ by Chagos Islands deal and that it will collapse like cope with China over Hong Kong did

I’ve been contacted by very senior officers and advisers from the incoming Republican administration, and each single one among them is appalled at this deal. They know the leasehold settlement [under which the UK would retain effective control of Diego Garcia, the main island on the Chagos Islands, housing the UK-US airbase, for at least 99 years] won’t survive, simply because the cope with China over Hong Kong didn’t survive.

Hasn’t the time come the federal government to confess it is a rotten deal for the UK, a rotten deal for America and an excellent worse deal for the Chagossians.

And if you happen to care a lot concerning the sovereignty of the Falklands being within the fingers of the Falkland Islanders, why not have a referendum of the Chagossians and ask them to settle who ought to have sovereignty over these islands?

Up to date at 11.26 EST

Chris Wormald was everlasting secretary on the Deparment for Schooling earlier than he moved to the Division of Well being and Social Care. Luke Tryl, the Extra in Frequent UK director, labored with him on the DfE and he thinks Wormald can be a very good cupboard secretary.

FWIW i feel Chris Wormald is an effective Cupboard Secretary to do that, having labored with him in DfE, he is somebody who has the expertise/protected pair of fingers, however also can do massive reform (as DfE confirmed) – mistake is to assume it is one or the opposite.

— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) December 2, 2024

Sam Freedman, the Prospect columnist and Remark is Freed Substack commentator, additionally labored as an official on the DfE when Wormald was there. He has posted his tackle the brand new cupboard secretary on Bluesky.

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Tories claims speeding via Chagos Islands deal forward of Trump changing into president ‘massively disrespectful’

Cartlidge is responding to the opening assertion.

He says the federal government is attempting to finalise the deal earlier than President Trump is in submit.

However Marco Rubio, who Trump desires to nominate as secretary of state, has mentioned the deal poses a menace to US safety, he says.

Cartlidge says the brand new authorities in Mauritius additionally desires a overview of the deal.

He says attempting to hurry this deal via is “massively disrespectful” to the incoming Trump administration.

Pollard repeats the purpose about all elements of the US governmment backing the deal.

It will not have been attainable to safe a deal and the help of the USA if all elements of the US safety equipment weren’t in help of this deal.

All US authorities departments and businesses again UK’s deal over way forward for Chagos Islands, MPs informed

Within the Commons James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, asks an pressing query concerning the influence of the switch of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on UK-US defence relations.

Luke Pollard, a defence minister, is responding. He says the deal is “strongly supported” by the US, together with all related departments and businesses.

Sarah Sackman promoted to justice minister, and Lucy Rigby appointed solicitor basic

Downing Road has introduced a mini-reshuffle to fill a niche created by the promotion of Heidi Alexander to move secretary on Friday.

Alexander was a justice minister earlier than being appointed to exchange Louise Haigh in cupboard following Haigh’s resignation.

Right now Downing Road has introduced that Sarah Sackman will change Alexander as a minister of state within the Minstry of Justice, liable for courts and authorized companies. Sackman was solicitor basic.

And the Labour MP Lucy Rigby joins the federal government as solicitor basic.

No 10 has additionally introduced that Ellie Reeves, the Cupboard Workplace minister and Labour occasion chair, will begin attending cupboard.

Rayner dismisses declare authorities plan to construct 1.5m properties over 5 years unrealistic

Angela Rayner, the deputy PM and housing secretary, has dismissed claims that the federal government’s plan to construct 1.5m new properties over 5 years is unrealistic.

She spoke throughout housing questions within the Commons after Paul Holmes, a shadow housing minister, requested her a couple of BBC report saying many councils have informed the federal government they don’t assume its goal may be achieved.

Holmes mentioned:

In simply 5 months we are able to see that this authorities’s goal of 1.5m new properties lies in tatters. The NHF (Nationwide Housing Federation) say the federal government will miss their goal by 475,000 with out extra grant.

The housing minister [Matthew Pennycook] final week mentioned the identical and now Labour-run South Tyneside council say the plans are ‘wholly unrealistic’ with different Labour councils agreeing.

Isn’t it time that the federal government admitted defeat, come again with a deliverable plan, and supply the sector with the understanding it must ship extra social properties throughout this nation?

And Rayner replied:

[Holmes] has forgotten – his authorities failed to satisfy their housing targets each single time. This authorities is dedicated to constructing the 1.5m properties over this parliament.

Underneath the Tories, housebuilding plummeted as they bowed to stress from their backbenchers to scrap native housing targets. We’re bringing again necessary housing targets. The chancellor [Rachel Reeves] has put extra money into the inexpensive properties programme and we’ll construct these properties.

He doesn’t know my historical past and the way I work.

As Peter Walker writes in his story concerning the appointment of Chris Wormald as the brand new cupboard secretary, Wormald was “arguably probably the most conventional and low-key” of the 4 candidates on the shortlist of the job.

Olly Robbins, who oversaw Brexit negotiations below Theresa Could earlier than leaving the civil service, was seen as a attainable favorite. Additionally within the body had been Antonia Romeo, everlasting secretary on the Ministry of Justice, and Tamara Finkelstein, who holds the identical function within the surroundings division.

Peter additionally says Wormald’s document on pandemic planning might not have helped his probabilities.

Some proof from the official inquiry into Covid has linked Wormald, who gave proof to the inquiry in November final 12 months, to what was seen as a wider prevailing complacency that the UK was properly ready for any pandemic.

Pippa Crerar, the Guardian’s political editor, says some individuals assume Wormald is just not the plain selection for a PM desirous to rewire the British state. (See 1.37pm.)

Some eyebrows raised over Starmer’s appointment of Wormald, who has been a civil servant since 1991, to ship the “full rewiring of the British state” he says is required to ship bold long-term reform.

(One counter-view is {that a} traditional civil servant is healthier positioned to do that, and take Whitehall with him, than an explosive character like Dominic Cummings.)

Lord Bethell, who labored with Chris Wormald on the Division of Well being and Social Care when he was a minister there within the final authorities, has posted this on social media praising the brand new cupboard secretary.