Starmer’s Close Friend Is Mauritius’ Chief Legal Adviser on Chagos Islands
Many in SW1 have been surprised by the speed at which the Chagos Islands have been handed over to China-aligned Mauritius. They shouldn’t be…
Guido can reveal that Starmer’s close friend Philippe Sands KC is Mauritus’ chief legal adviser and a longtime agitator for Mauritian control of the islands. He submitted in evidence to Parliament in January of this year:
“At the outset, I wish to make clear that as a member of the Bar of England and Wales I have acted as counsel to Mauritius since 2010 in relation to the Chagos Archipelago. As such, I have been involved in the proceedings before the Annex VII arbitral tribunal (2010-2015), the International Court of Justice (ICJ, 2017-2019) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS, 2019-2023). I continue to advise the Government of Mauritius.”
Starmer’s friend led the successful charge in international courts to shame “progressives” into giving away strategically vital British territory. Sands pressed his extreme views in more evidence this March to the Foreign Affairs Sub-Committe on the Overseas Territories:
“As a matter of international law, the situation today is crystal clear: Mauritius is recognised to have sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, and the UK is considered to have no rights over that territory, or even a claim. Accordingly, this is not a situation in which it would be appropriate or correct for the Sub-Committee to make reference to any future transfer of sovereignty by the United Kingdom: the United Kingdom has no sovereignty to transfer.”
Sands is a founder of Matrix Chambers, which also happens to be where Starmer’s other close mate and their mutual friend Richard Hermer was plucked from to serve as Attorney General. It looks like the UK’s performative self-harm was a done deal from the moment Starmer walked into Downing Street…
