Nigel Farage’s latest ally has come under scrutiny for alleged hypocrisy following the emergence of another letter where he insisted on the surrender of the Chagos Islands.
Andrew Rosindell corresponded with then-Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in 2021, cautioning that the UK’s failure to comply was damaging its credibility. This development follows the revelation of a previous letter to Joe Biden in 2020, urging the US to assist in “decolonizing” the region.
Rosindell has vocally criticized the Government’s decision to restore the islands to Mauritius. He recently announced his defection to Reform, citing the Tories’ failure to challenge the Government on the Chagos issue as a key reason.
In a recent interview on Talk TV, he condemned the Tories for engaging in talks with Mauritius, labeling it a severe betrayal of national security. However, his letters suggest he was advocating for a similar resolution.
Labour has accused Rosindell of distorting facts after the documents came to light. In his letter to Raab, dated July 2021, Rosindell emphasized the importance of honoring an International Court of Justice decision supported by the UN, which called for Britain to relinquish sovereignty.
As chairman of the Chagos Islands All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), Rosindell asserted that a comprehensive settlement respecting international consensus was crucial to resolving historical issues affecting British diplomacy.
The letter, unveiled after Rosindell’s communication with Biden came to light, prompted criticism from former Tory MP Sir Simon Clarke. Despite Trump’s administration endorsing the Chagos Islands agreement in May, Trump himself derided it as foolish.
A Labour source criticized both Reform and the Tories for their handling of the Chagos issue, labeling them as lacking seriousness about national security. Rosindell’s letter to Biden highlighted the need to reassess security and strategy at the Diego Garcia military base.
The UK has agreed to transfer Chagos to Mauritius and lease back Diego Garcia for 99 years. Rosindell assured Biden that US security interests would not be compromised by Mauritian sovereignty and that the UK remained committed to the return of the islands.
The UK and Mauritius finalized a sovereignty transfer deal in May, ending two centuries of British rule over the Chagos Islands. Rosindell’s stance on the self-determination of the Chagossian people has been consistent, according to a Reform UK spokesman.