Starmer claims Badenoch ‘not fit to be PM’ in clash over Chagos deal

Keir Starmer has claimed Kemi Badenoch is 'not fit to be prime minister', as the pair clashed over national security and energy projects in the Commons. The prime minister responded to criticism of his handling of the deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius by suggesting the Conservative leader had not requested a national security briefing on the issue. Badenoch accused Starmer of an 'immoral surrender' over the islands and questioned how anyone could believe the prime minister was defending UK interests. The UK government wants to give the Chagos Islands, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius and pay to lease back the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia. It argues it must cede the islands to Mauritius after international legal rulings. Starmer claims Badenoch ‘not fit to be PM’ as pair clash over Chagos deal at PMQs – UK politics live Mauritian PM expects ‘speedy resolution’ with UK over Chagos Islands