Reform UK's Newest MP Faces Hypocrisy Storm Over Chagos Islands Stance
Andrew Rosindell, the Conservative MP who dramatically defected to Nigel Farage's Reform UK at the weekend, has been accused of "staggering hypocrisy" after a 2020 letter he wrote to Joe Biden emerged, revealing he once passionately advocated for the very Chagos Islands agreement his new party now opposes.
The 2020 Letter: A Plea for Decolonisation
In December 2020, when Biden was President-elect, Rosindell penned a detailed letter in his capacity as chairman of the Chagos Islands All Party Parliamentary Group. The correspondence, obtained exclusively by The Mirror, reveals a politician taking a markedly different position to his current stance.
Rosindell warned Biden that failure to "decolonise" the Chagos archipelago was causing international anger and represented what he described as "a shameful blot on the UK's human rights record and by association that of the US."
He wrote: "Now is a propitious time to re-assess the long-term security and strategy of this vitally important joint base in the Indian Ocean. There is a need for a radical rethink of policy towards resettlement and the future of the Chagos Islands by the UK."
Assurances About US Security Interests
In his letter, Rosindell made specific assurances to the American leader about the security of the Diego Garcia military base, which has been a crucial strategic asset for both nations for decades.
"The main interest of the United States is the continuation and security of the base on Diego Garcia which would not be threatened by either resettlement, especially if it were on the Outer Islands or eventual Mauritian sovereignty," he assured Biden.
He emphasised that both Chagossians and Mauritius wanted the base to continue operating, and noted that Mauritius had committed to offering the United States a 99-year lease arrangement.
The Weekend Defection and Immediate Criticism
Rosindell's weekend defection to Reform UK was accompanied by claims that Conservative failure to hold the government to account over the Chagos deal represented a "clear red line" for him. He has since branded the UK-Mauritius agreement, signed in May, as a "surrender."
Labour MP Luke Charters told The Mirror: "Opposition to the government's deal might land differently if they weren't coming from a party whose newest MP personally spent years advocating for this exact outcome. This is the same person who signed letters, and lobbied the British and even foreign governments to respect the ICJ ruling on the Chagos Islands."
Charters added: "It's a staggering act of hypocrisy from an MP and a party that proves time and again that it doesn't know who or what it stands for."
The Current Agreement and International Context
The UK and Mauritius signed their landmark agreement in May to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after more than two centuries of British control. The deal includes provisions for leasing back Diego Garcia for 99 years to maintain the strategic military base.
This agreement follows years of international pressure, including rulings from the International Court of Justice and United Nations resolutions urging Britain to return the islands. The British government has stated it is acting to protect the base from ongoing international legal challenges.
The White House welcomed the agreement last year, stating it "secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-U.K. military facility at Diego Garcia."
Political Reactions and Broader Implications
A Labour source commented: "Given half of the Tory Party is now in Reform, it's no wonder they share the same knack for total hypocrisy. The Tories started the Chagos negotiations and now want everyone to forget it. Meanwhile Nigel Farage's latest recruit privately begged the former US president to take a course of action which this Labour government is now pursuing, and which Reform are opposing. You couldn't make it up."
The source added pointedly: "You simply can't trust a word either the Tories or Reform say."
Rosindell's 2020 letter concluded with a hopeful note about American involvement: "The APPG hopes that the United States will play its part in bringing about an end to these historic injustices and helping our democratic allies which include Mauritius, India and Australia, to provide stability and protect our joint interests in the Indian Ocean and beyond for the foreseeable future."
The Mirror has contacted both Andrew Rosindell and Reform UK for comment regarding the apparent contradiction between his 2020 advocacy and his current political position on this sensitive diplomatic issue.
