Andrew Griffith declares 'proper victory' for Chagos Islands after 'surrender' deal shelved by Keir Starmer

Georgia Pearce
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:06:19 +0000

Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith has declared that Conservative opposition played a decisive role in putting the Chagos Islands agreement on hold, describing the outcome as "a proper victory."

Speaking to GB News, the senior Tory figure argued that his party had successfully elevated the issue politically and ensured American allies grasped the full implications of the proposed arrangement.

"This is a proper victory," Mr Griffith stated, while maintaining that Labour's approach to the territory dispute was weakening Britain's position internationally.

The shadow cabinet member insisted the Conservatives would maintain their campaign against Sir Keir Starmer's handling of the Chagos matter, alongside broader challenges on defence policy and post-Brexit regulatory questions.

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Mr Griffith mounted a robust defence of Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch's contribution to blocking the agreement, asserting she had undertaken substantial efforts to build the case against it.

"I think if he abstracted himself from the current politics of local Government elections, this would be something that the Leader of the Opposition has properly done significant work on," he said.

"She's spoken to people in Washington to try and make sure that they fully understand the consequences of this."

The shadow minister emphasised that American understanding of the deal's ramifications, achieved with Tory assistance, was central to its likely collapse.

He drew a sharp distinction between previous Conservative involvement in negotiations and Labour's willingness to finalise terms, stating: "Let's be super clear, every Conservative who was involved in those negotiations said that they would not have done this deal."

Mr Griffith made clear the dispute was far from settled, demanding the Prime Minister appear before Parliament to confirm whether the arrangement had been permanently scrapped rather than merely postponed.

"We Conservatives will carry on the fight," he declared. "The Prime Minister should be coming to Parliament this afternoon.

"We will do everything we can to force him to come to Parliament, explain that he's finally accepted this deal, not just momentarily shelved the deal and go and find another way with his human rights lawyer friends."

The Shadow Minister's comments signal the opposition has no intention of letting the matter rest, with Tories seeking binding assurances that negotiations will not resume through alternative channels.

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Mr Griffith accused Labour of allowing Britain to become a passive observer during critical international flashpoints, pointing specifically to rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

He warned that insufficient action alongside global partners would ultimately hit British households financially, stating: "We should absolutely be stepping up, making our own contribution to international efforts and by so doing protecting ordinary households in this country."

The shadow minister attributed the UK's constrained military footprint to prolonged strategic drift, arguing that any administration genuinely committed to bolstering defence capabilities must be transparent about funding.

Under Kemi Badenoch's leadership, he said, the Conservatives were outlining how increased spending would be financed and advocating difficult budgetary decisions.

"If you're serious about improving the level of our armed forces and we've said that we would if we were in Government get to the three per cent level, then you're going to have to make those hard choices," Mr Griffith added.

Mr Griffith turned his fire on reports suggesting the Government might align Britain with EU single market regulations without a conventional parliamentary vote, condemning such a move as an affront to democratic accountability.

"It's even worse, it's a betrayal of Parliament," he said, arguing that no Prime Minister should circumvent elected representatives on matters shaping the nation's economic future.

He said: "Nobody, as this Prime Minister seems determined to do, should be trying to do a run around Parliament rather than let Parliament, our elected representatives, decide the rules of this country."