It seems that the Chagos deal is the grift which keeps on giving. The government last night confirmed that it had been forced to pause the legislation granting the islands’ handover, following a U-turn by Washington. Now, Mr S can reveal that humiliation follows humiliation for our poor, beleaguered Prime Minister. Sir Keir has made much of his career as a human rights lawyer. But now it seems that he is himself accused of breaching the very same rights that he has championed…
This week the Chagos Government’s Attorney General, James Tumbridge, filed a petition to the United Nations (UN), specifically accusing Starmer personally of committing a ‘crime against humanity’. In Tumbridge’s 12-page submission he cites the UK government’s recent attempts to remove four Chagossians who have landed on the island to retake their homeland. Tumbridge quotes the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court which ‘includes “Deportation or forcible transfer of population” and “Other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering” in its definition of crimes against humanity. The UN has acknowledged receipt of the submission but is yet to respond.
It comes four months after the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed ‘deep concern’ that Starmer’s would ‘perpetuate longstanding violations of the Chagossian people’s rights.’ Live by the human rights playbook, die by the human rights playbook…
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