Diego Garcia Military Base

James McMurdock Excerpts

Thursday 22nd May 2025 Commons Chamber

[John Healey]

I do not want to speak for the Conservatives, but, clearly, they were trying to negotiate a deal. They had had 11 rounds of negotiations. Any Government elected in July would have been faced with the challenge of how to secure this space for the long term. It was clear that that was their direction, and that they had conceded that principle in government. I regret the fact that they are not consistent in pursuing that principle, recognising the way that we have strengthened the deal and done the deal that they were unable to secure.

[James McMurdock (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Reform)]

I am concerned about the influence of foreign nations levied through the criminal courts. If it is not too vague, I should like to read out a very brief quote:

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.”

Given that this land was always going to be ours and now it will be ours for only 99 more years, who will benefit from that shade in a century?

[John Healey]

The British people and British forces will benefit from that shade. They will continue to benefit from that shade beyond the 99 years if we choose as a nation at that point to exercise our first refusal to extend the deal for another 40 years. That was a provision that was not in the deal that the Conservatives negotiated. It is a provision that extends our ability to control this space for the long term, for our national security.