GB News host Martin Daubney has slammed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for what he described as a "shabby" attempt to link critics of the Chagos Islands deal with Britain's geopolitical adversaries.
The criticism came after Starmer suggested in a press conference that those opposing the controversial agreement were aligned with hostile nations, saying: "Russia, China, Iran and surprisingly, the leader of the opposition and Nigel Farage are in that column alongside Russia, China and Iran rather than the column that has the UK and its allies in it."
Starmer has signed a £10billion deal to hand over the Chagos Islands, bringing an end to months of fury and speculation over the future of the archipelago.
Responding to the statement, Martin said: "I literally had my breath taken away by that clip."
Martin Daubney said he had his "breathe taken away" by Keir Starmer's statement
GB NEWS
He added: "Before we go into the broader implications, there's something especially shabby and uncalled for there about trying to draw the inference that anybody who disagrees with this is in the same camp as Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin.
"The Chagossians are utterly devastated by this. To use this moment as a broadside against Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, felt especially shabby."
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The deal includes a 99-year lease to rent back the Diego Garcia military base, which is shared with the US military, along with a large up-front payment and an annual rental fee.
A new "Chagos fund" will also be established, with Britain contributing development funding for Mauritius.
In total, the agreement is expected to cost UK taxpayers around £9billion and represents the first significant loss of British territory since Hong Kong's handover in 1997.
The Foreign Office has kept the precise terms of the deal closely guarded, but it will reportedly include security clauses to prevent China or Russia from establishing spy bases near the military installation.
The deal was due to be signed this morning, but was temporarily blocked by a High Court judge hours before.
Justice Chamberlain said the injunction should be discharged, after Bertrice Pompe, one of two British women born on the Chagos Islands was granted an injunction at 2.25am against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for "interim relief".
He said: "I have concluded that the stay granted by Mr Justice Goose should be discharged and there should be no further interim relief."
The Prime Minister vowed: "This is not just about international law, it's about the operation of the base. Even if we choose to ignore judgments made against us, international organisations and other countries would act on them and that would undermine the operation of the base, causing us to lose this unique capability.
The Chagos Islands deal was signed today
Getty"One example of this is the electromagnetic spectrum. Countries have the right to manage this spectrum as they wish within their borders, a right that’s recognised in regulations and overseen in the International Telecommunication Union.
"The use of the spectrum is key to understanding and anticipating those who seek to do us harm. If our right to control it is put into doubt, we would lose the first line of defence against other countries who wish to interfere and disrupt this capability, rendering it practically useless.
"In addition, if we did not agree this deal the legal situation would mean that we would not be able to prevent China or any other nation setting up their own bases on the outer islands or carrying out joint exercises near our base, we would have to explain to you, the British people and to our allies, that we’d lost control of this vital asset.
"No responsible Government could let that happen. So, there's no alternative but to act in Britain’s national interest."
