GOVERNMENT DENIES TORIES’ £35 BILLION CHAGOS ISLANDS BILL CLAIM

JUSTICE Minister Alex Davies-Jones has dismissed a claim from the Conservatives that the true cost of the Chagos Islands handover deal is ten times higher than previously acknowledged.

Speaking to GB News, she said: “I want to be very clear with your viewers today that we do not recognise that figure at all.

“The Prime Minister has been forthright in saying that the true cost of this is that £3.4 billion figure. It is less than 0.2% of the defence budget, which is less than the cost of an aircraft carrier and all of that in order to keep national security safe.

“The United States are on board with this agreement to make sure that we can maintain that military base on Diego Garcia for national security. And we think that is what’s needed in order to protect our British citizens.”

Asked by Eamonn Holmes if she was sure about the £3.4 billion figure, she said: “I’m very sure, Eamonn. The government does not recognise this figure.

“The stated figure that the Prime Minister has said is £3.4 billion over the course of the lifetime of this deal, it’s around £100 million a year in order to maintain that military base on Diego Garcia, in order to maintain national security. And that is the true cost of this scheme.”

On whether it was a good deal for the country, she said: “For the cost of 0.2% of the defence budget of the United Kingdom, less than the cost of an aircraft carrier, we are maintaining that strategic military base in Diego Garcia, safeguarding the future security of the United Kingdom and ensuring that our allies, such as the United States have access to that.

“We think that is the right course of action and the right deal to make.”

Davies-Jones was also asked about a scheme to deport foreign criminals: “This scheme currently operates in eight countries where we have agreements in place where foreign criminals are deported back to their country of origin, and they can appeal directly from their country of origin rather than remaining here in the United Kingdom. We’re extending that today.

“We’re trebling it, in fact, from eight countries, up to 23 because we feel like that is what’s best placed for that foreign criminal, to be able to hear that appeal from their home country rather than staying here in the United Kingdom.

“However, this is the second part of our announcement this week where we’re also going to be deporting foreign criminals immediately on sentencing, and they will have no right to ever return to the United Kingdom.”

She added: “We will be deporting these foreign criminals from the United Kingdom because we feel like they shouldn’t be here in the first place. Being here in the United Kingdom is a privilege, not a right. And if you come here and you break our laws, then you will feel the full force of the action.

“You will be deported with no right to ever return. How it currently works under the previous Tory government is that these criminals would have had to have served 50% of their sentence in prison in England and Wales, costing the taxpayer £54,000 pound a year for bed and board.

“Now we feel that’s outrageous. We feel like they should be deported immediately back to their country of origin, not costing the taxpayer a penny and not being able to come back here and hurt our citizens even further.”