[The Weeping Angel]

Yeah but we're spending 100 million a year.

[kreuzberger]

Yeah but we're spending 100 million a year.

That's the cost of a sandwich at Gatwick.

If the UK can splash the same amount on a humungous landing strip within spitting distance of Chinese shipping routes and a hop-skip from all manner of other adversaries, that looks like a pretty decent deal.

Defence has a price.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ha ha ha ha ha. Richard Tice gets inflation completely the wrong way round. This would require unprecedented deflation to be true,

Any conceivable downside of tearing up agreements?

Richard Tice says 'when' Reform UK win next election, they will rip up Chagos Islands deal and cancel further payments
Back in the Commons Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, says this is “the worst ever deal in history by this country”. He claims that, allowing for inflation, the £101m annual cost means the deal will cost £40bn, taking into account inflation. He goes on:

When reform win the next general election, we will rip up this deal and tear it up and stop all future payments.
Healey says Tice is talking “total rubbish”.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Kemi speaks. She's not quite come up with £40bn but she's had a good go. Allies might be less than impressed with the implication that they don't support this deal. As might Mauritius with the suggestion it's some sort of Chinese proxy. "The lawyers" is a funny representation of the votes at the UN.

I make no apology for opposing this disgraceful Chagos sell-out:
•At least £30 billion of taxpayers’ money thrown away in a Surrender Tax—and likely much more
•British territory handed over to a country aligned with China
•Our national security needlessly weakened All to appease the lawyers and activist elite
Keir Starmer surrounds himself with. Other countries may nod along, but behind closed doors, they must think we’ve lost our minds. Labour is turning Britain into a global laughing stock.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Who knows what the US will do, but I'd be surprised if Starmer didn't call in a few favors from NATO allies here. "Hi Kemi, it's Emmanuel/ Friedrich/ Pedro/ Mark/ Donald here. Can you stop lying about my country's position, please?"

[Tubby Isaacs]

I'm just amazed that the Leader of the Opposition thinks you can say things like that about Allies. Is there nobody who was in the government last year to point out "Actually, Kemi, we discussed this with allies ourselves. They actually don't think this is mad. They think the issue has been absolute gift to China in the region."

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yeah but we're spending 100 million a year.

That's the cost of a sandwich at Gatwick.

If the UK can splash the same amount on a humungous landing strip within spitting distance of Chinese shipping routes and a hop-skip from all manner of other adversaries, that looks like a pretty decent deal.

Defence has a price.

He was being sarcastic, I'm pretty sure. It's basically not very much money at all, just in terms of removing an easy propaganda win for China in the region, let alone in terms of security.

[The Weeping Angel]

Yeah but we're spending 100 million a year.

That's the cost of a sandwich at Gatwick.

If the UK can splash the same amount on a humungous landing strip within spitting distance of Chinese shipping routes and a hop-skip from all manner of other adversaries, that looks like a pretty decent deal.

Defence has a price.

As Tubbs points out I was being sarcastic. In fact I can remember when the right were screaming that it would cost 9 billion.

[kreuzberger]

Oh ...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Dan Neidle on Angela Rayner's tax proposals.

https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/05/23/ang ... -assessed/

His view is that 4 of them are well thought out and could raise £2.5bn a year. He disagrees with some others, but they're not outlandish. Overall, not quite the leftist challenge the coverage has made it out. I'd be surprised if Reeves didn't do some of what she suggests.

[The Weeping Angel]

Dan Neidle on Angela Rayner's tax proposals.

https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/05/23/ang ... -assessed/

His view is that 4 of them are well thought out and could raise £2.5bn a year. He disagrees with some others, but they're not outlandish. Overall, not quite the leftist challenge the coverage has made it out. I'd be surprised if Reeves didn't do some of what she suggests.

I've heard that this was leaked to damage Rayner or Rayner leaked it herself to undermine Reeves.