DOWNING Street has been forced to deny the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is at risk amid ongoing fury over the future of the Chagos Islands.
No 10 insisted yesterday that the deal to hand the strategically important archipelago to Mauritius was a "unique situation".
The Prime Minister's official spokesman added that "British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands or Gibraltar is not up for negotiation".
It came as Foreign Secretary David Lammy defended the decision on the Chagos Islands in a statement to Parliament, by claiming a key military base could have been abandoned.
Mr Lammy said the UK was facing a choice of jettisoning the joint UK/US military base on Diego Garcia "or breaking international law".
The agreement will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of pounds and will see the UK paying Mauritius until as late as 2164.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Climb Stairs And Improve Heart Health
SHORT but intense activity - such as climbing the stairs or carrying heavy shopping could cut the risk of heart problems and strokes in women by up to 45%, a study suggests.
Greys invade red squirrel strongholds
THE last red squirrel strongholds in England are under siege from larger greys who carry the deadly pox that kill our native species, a study reveals.
ENGLAND HAVE REVENGE ON THEIR MIND
THEY may be one up in the series but as England head to Wellington for tomorrow night's second Test, they could have revenge on their minds.
VARDY PARTY
Rapid-fire Jamie triggers winning start to Ruud era
O'KEEFFE'S SUB PLOT
Stand-in bids to emulate his Savills success
Chef's £25k of stolen pies too hot to handle
TV star's stock ruined in crash
Fraudster jailed over £1.3million Tesco crash con
A FRAUDSTER has been jailed for 15 months after taking part in a £1.3million fake crash scam on Tesco.
I slept on the streets as a teenager...now I'm a chief fire officer with a PhD
Sabrina Cohen-Hatton survived two years living rough thanks to a stray called Menace. Today she's advising the Prince of Wales while raising funds for a remarkable charity that helps the homeless care for their dogs
Parents of disabled children lose £20k a year in income
PARENTS with disabled children are losing more than £20,000 a year on average from their family incomes after being forced to work reduced hours or quit their jobs to care for their kids, research shows.
Ceasefire at risk as Israel strikes Hezbollah targets
THE ceasefire in Lebanon lay in tatters yesterday as Israel blitzed what it called Hezbollah positions.
