GB News’ regular broadcasting was halted to go live on location as prime minister Sir Keir Starmer received a brutal line of questioning from political correspondent Katherine Forster. This came after the government announced that the UK signed a deal to hand over control of the Chagos Islands and lease back the military base there for £101million a year.

Katherine asked: “Prime minister, what do you say to people who can’t understand why you can find £100 million a year, billions over 99 years, but you can’t find money to support people with disabilities. And you were a human rights lawyer, you’re having to make this deal because of an international legal ruling, but the Chagossians that brought that case last night and got that temporary injunction feel that it breaches their human rights?”

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She added: “They’re being treated just as shoddily as when the Government booted them out of the Chagos Islands back in the 60s, what do you say to them?”

Starmer responded: “Well, let me take all three parts of the question. In answer to your first question, the first duty of a Prime Minister is to keep the country safe and secure, and this base is vital in that respect.

“Its location, its physical use and its capability, including the spectrum capability. That capability has already had a huge impact around the globe in relation to combating and defeating our adversaries.

“It is vital to keep our armed forces safe in their operation, and it is measured against other defence spending. It is year on year less than the cost of running an aircraft carrier minus the aircraft.”

The politician stated: “So it is really important that a Prime minister doesn’t shirk when it comes to national security, that is the number one duty and responsibility of any Prime minister. It is a duty and responsibility that I take extremely seriously.”

Under the agreement, Britain hands control over the islands to Mauritius but leases the largest one, Diego Garcia, for 99 years to continue operating a joint US-UK military base there.

Starmer told a press conference on Thursday (May 22) that he had signed the deal and that it was “one of the most significant contributions that we make to our security relationship with the United States”.

Downing Street added that the deal was a “legal necessity” and has been backed by the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which are part of an intelligence-sharing partnership with the UK.