Falklands hero Simon Weston urges Starmer to ‘show leadership’ & tell Argentina he won’t surrender the islands
FALKLANDS hero Simon Weston yesterday called on Sir Keir Starmer to tell Argentina he will not surrender the islands.
The PM refused to rule out handing them over after the Chagos Islands deal.
Ex-Welsh guardsman Simon — seriously burnt in the 1982 war with Argentina — told The Sun on Sunday: “It’s essential to be clear on all British territories — they’re not under discussion.
“They’re remaining British.
“If the PM comes out and states it, it puts it to bed. It’s called leadership. It’s got to be the easiest display of leadership to say, ‘No, we’re not having it’.
“The Falkland islanders voted by 99 per cent to stay British.
“It gives people there peace of mind to go to sleep and not be worrying about whose flag is flying when they wake.”
Argentina has seized on the decision to sign away Chagos to renew its claim to the South Atlantic outpost.
Simon, 63, said it was a “misstep” to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius.
On Friday, the PM refused to guarantee no other territories would be surrendered.
But his spokesman later clarified: “Chagos doesn’t change our policy or approach to other overseas territories.”
The Foreign Office yesterday said: “British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the Cyprus sovereign base areas is not up for negotiation.
“The situations are not comparable.”