Watch the moment Chagos Islands's First Minister belts out stirring rendition of God Save the King

Jack Walters
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 19:29:20 +0000

Watch the moment the First Minister of the Chagos Islands belts out a stirring rendition of God Save the King live on GB News.

Misley Mandarin, who settled on the Indian Ocean archipelago, today received a major boost after a judge ruled Chagossians have a right to inhabit the disputed islands.

During an appearance on GB News earlier today, Mr Mandarin stood up to sing the national anthem.

Ex-Tory MP Adam Holloway, who is supporting the Chagossians' plight, urged Mr Mandarin to deliver his rendition.

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Mr Holloway said: "Go on, do it. Do it."

As Mr Mandarin positioned himself to sing God Save the King, GB News star Martin Daubney raised his fist in support.

The Union flag was flying behind Mr Mandrin throughout his rendition.

"Misley Mandarin, you've got the entire nation standing to attention ahead of Wembley tonight.

"England, of course, are taking on Japan."

Mr Mandarin, who was appointed as the de facto First Minister of the Indian Ocean archipelago, was celebrating a judge ruling that islanders expelled in the 1960s have the right to live there.

The landmark judicial review comes as another blow to Sir Keir Starmer, with the Prime Minister losing Donald Trump's support for the £35billion handover deal to Mauritius just last month.

In a fiery Truth Social post, the US President described the deal as an "act of great stupidity" and a "big mistake".

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The case was brought forward after four Chagossians occupied one of the islands earlier this year in a bid to reclaim their homeland.

Ruling in favour of the Chagossians, Justice Lewis overturned a 2004 law for the islands brought in by Tony Blair’s Government to prevent their return to the Indian Ocean archipelago.

He also reversed previous rulings by the Law Lords on their original removal in the 1960s and 1970s.

Following the legal victory, Mr Mandarin said: "I'm not the happiest man in the world yet, Martin. The war needs to be won in the Parliament.

"But today, the victory is fundamental for justice for Chagossians, because it quashed this Order in Council from 2004, where the Chagossians can't abode in their homeland, in their ancestral home - so we are happy but not happy."

Taking aim at Sir Keir, Mr Misley added: "To be honest, Keir Starmer, I don't know if that man has a heart. But I thank the judge, who saw sense when he did the judgement for us, so he really helped us.

"But Starmer, for me personally, if he didn't want to remove me, why make the Government appeal? They're still doing an appeal.

"He still wants to get rid of me, to remove me from the island."

Discussing the ruling, barrister James Tumbridge told GB News that the ruling is a "huge piece of news" for the Chagossians.

He said: "This morning, the Supreme Court of the British Indian Ocean Territory quashed it. That law is now dead.

Mr Tumbridge added: "The fight has to go on because the Government's appealing, and the Government still wants to get rid of my clients who are on an island, but fundamentally, this judge has recognised things have changed."

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We do not agree with this judgment, and we understand the BIOT administration have appealed it."