🚨 Point of Order

Commons Chamber

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Urgent reports suggest Iran might attack the UK’s Diego Garcia base, prompting concerns from MP Mark Francois. Amidst these threats, there are also rumors of a secret deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands’ future, which remains British territory. Francois demanded a government statement in Parliament to address these issues, but no such statement has been scheduled yet. The situation raises questions about the security and sovereignty of British strategic assets.

Summary

  • Military Threat Concerns: Mr Mark Francois raised concerns about reports that Iran might be planning a military strike on the UK-US base on Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands. He cited a senior Iranian official’s statement suggesting that this could be a deterrent against actions by Donald Trump.

  • Government’s Lack of Communication: Francois expressed frustration over the government’s apparent lack of communication with Parliament regarding both the potential military threat and emerging reports about a possible deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands.

  • Request for Statement: He asked if the Speaker or Deputy Speaker had any knowledge of the government planning to make a statement in Parliament about these issues, either that night or the next day.

  • Response from Madam Deputy Speaker: Caroline Nokes, the Madam Deputy Speaker, responded that no notification of such a statement had been received. She suggested that members of the Treasury Bench, who were present, had heard the point of order and that other avenues might be available to Francois to raise the issue further.

Divisiveness

The transcript primarily reflects a point of order raised by Mr Mark Francois regarding potential threats and diplomatic moves concerning the Chagos Islands and Diego Garcia. The key disagreement arises between Mr Francois and the implied actions or lack thereof by the Government, rather than direct disagreements between members in the session shown. Mr Francois expresses concern and dissatisfaction with the Government’s communication and transparency about military and diplomatic threats to UK territories. However, Madam Deputy Speaker, while acknowledging his concerns, does not confirm any forthcoming statement from the Government, indicating a procedural response rather than engaging directly in the disagreement. The disagreement is more about the Government’s actions and communication, which is not directly contested within the session itself but implied through Mr Francois’ statements. The rating of 2 reflects a moderate level of disagreement, as it is not an active debate between members but rather a concern raised by one member towards the Government’s approach to an issue.