Senior MP Emily Thornberry has accused Donald Trump of ‘presidential trolling’ after the US President released an extraordinary post branding Britain’s Chagos deal an ‘act of GREAT STUPIDITY’
A senior MP has accused Donald Trump of “presidential trolling” after an extraordinary post branding Britain’s Chagos deal an “act of GREAT STUPIDITY”.
Emily Thornberry, chair of the Commons’ foreign affairs committee, said the UK must remain calm and set out “what is acceptable and what is not as acceptable” amid the US President’s threats.
It comes after an outburst from Mr Trump this morning in which he suggested Britain’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands is among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland. He branded the deal an “act of total weakness” that was being watched by China and Russia.
Cabinet minister Darren Jones denied that Britain had been “humiliated” by Mr Trump’s comments and warned Britain will not be “cowed” by the increasingly volatile global situation. The PM’s Chief Secretary reminded that the US previously “welcomed” Britain’s deal over the Chagos Islands – which will hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius.
READ MORE: Donald Trump slams UK for ‘act of great STUPIDITY’ and doubles down on Greenland
Asked if Britain had been humiliated, Mr Jones told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t think we should even contemplate the idea that Britain or the British people should feel humiliated. We rightly stand up for British interests, our values in the world. We’ve been successful in doing that, and we’re going to keep doing that.
“As I say, politics, geopolitics, is increasingly volatile. I recognise that, but we shouldn’t be cowed by that. We should stand up to it. We should protect our values and the way in which the world works, to protect the British people and British interests. That’s what we have done, and it’s what we will continue to do.”
He added Sky News: “We’ve done a deal with the Mauritian government, we’ve legislated for the process, we’ve agreed the terms of the treaty which has been signed. This is the way in which to secure that military base for the next 100 years.”
Asked about Mr Trump’s comments, Dame Emily told BBC Radio 4: “This is an example of presidential trolling. We’ve always said that we don’t take him literally but we need to take him seriously.” She read out a statement from May last year from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where he said that he welcomed the historic Chagos agreement and commended both the UK and Mauritius for their leadership.
Asked if Britain should cancel the King’s visit to the US in April or withdraw England and Scotland from the World Cup in response, Dame Emily said: “I would be in favour of keeping calm and and trying to sit this out a bit, see what happens next. We’re getting this bevy of messages and so on at the moment.
“I think we have to remain firm and strong and calm and quite clear what is acceptable and what is not as acceptable, and stick with allies who do the same thing. I think we have to hold our ground at the moment.”
It comes after the US President over the weekend threatened to slap a 10% tariff “on any and all goods” sent to the US by eight NATO allies including the UK from February 1, rising to 25% from June 1, until he gets a deal to buy Greenland.
In an incendiary post on Truth Social this morning, Mr Trump said: “Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ Nato Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital US Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER.
“There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness. These are International Powers who only recognise STRENGTH, which is why the United States of America, under my leadership, is now, after only one year, respected like never before. The UK giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY, and is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired.”
Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands – a small archipelago in the Indian Ocean – is home to a strategically important military base jointly used by the US and the UK. Britain has paid Mauritius to lease back Diego Garcia and the base for at least 99 years under the terms of the deal.
Opposition parties seized on Mr Trump’s post and welcomed his intervention. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Paying to surrender the Chagos Islands is not just an act of stupidity, but of complete self sabotage. I’ve been clear and unfortunately on this issue President Trump is right.” And Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands.”