Nigel Farage hits back at Kemi Badenoch over 'offer to give Chagos' to Donald Trump

Nigel Farage has hit back at Kemi Badenoch over his "offer to give the Chagos Islands" to Donald Trump in exchange for his silence on the Falklands.

The Tory leader criticised the Reform UK leader after his "humiliating" comments, saying the hypothetical deal was "careless, loose talk" from the MP.

Mrs Badenoch appeared to indicate that Mr Farage wanted to give up the archipelago entirely. She said: "Giving away British territory in return for someone keeping quiet is not a deal. It is humiliating."

However, Reform spokesman further clarified that the Trump ally was "talking about the Americans using Diego Garcia in perpetuity and not the Chagos Islands as a whole".

And, after the row bubbled overnight, the Reform UK leader said: "Kemi is lying again. She just can’t help herself."

The White House also backed up the populist leader, saying that "at no point did anyone in the administration construe Nigel’s comments as suggesting that he was giving away the Chagos"

A spokesman added: "He was obviously referring to the use of the Diego Garcia military base, which is critical to countering threats from China and Iran.

"Anyone claiming otherwise is peddling fake news and undermining the Anglo-American relationship, including, apparently, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch."

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Andy Burnham accused of cover-up over links to scandal-hit Man City as new freebies come to light

Andy Burnham has been accused of covering up links to Manchester City as new freebies have emerged.

A new probe has revealed a deleted register of interests, suggesting that while Mr Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester, he twice joined City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak in a luxury hospitality suite at the Etihad Stadium.

The investigation has suggested Mr Burnham accepted City-funded freebies worth almost £1,200.

Details of the freebies were logged in a register he signed on December 7 2020; however, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority removed the register from its website.

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