Andy Burnham today insisted he’ll be ‘relentless’ in defending the Falkland Islands as Argentina continues to ramp up sanctions over the British overseas territory.
The Prime Minister said he would ‘always respect the rights of the Falkland Islanders to choose to be British’ amid the escalating tensions with Buenos Aires.
It came after Argentina launched more sanctions against oil exploration in the South Atlantic archipelago.
Officials in Buenos Aires said they had initiated sanctions proceedings against 15 new subjects, after previously taking action against 45 people and companies last week.
The Argentinian government has also presented a criminal complaint against Israeli energy company Navitas Petroleum and its executives for operating in the Falklands.
Javier Milei, the Argentinian President, has moved to enforce a crackdown on oil exploration around the Falklands after reiterating his country’s claim on the islands.
During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch claimed Argentina was threatening the Falklands due to Labour’s ‘weakness’ over the Chagos Islands.
She pointed to the decision by Mr Burnham’s predecessor Keir Starmer to ‘surrender’ sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius as part of a deal estimated to be costing UK taxpayers £35billion.
As she challenged the PM over the Government’s failure to set out when it will commit 3 per cent of GDP to defence spending, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘He won’t fund the military.
‘What he is funding though… Keir Starmer’s £35billion surrender of the Chagos Islands and its crucial military base. That is British sovereign territory.
‘This is a weak decision and it is no wonder that Argentina is now threatening the Falklands.
‘We need to project strength, we need to show that British sovereign territory is non-negotiable.’
In response, Mr Burnham said: ‘We will not surrender our base at Diego Garcia. We are in discussions with the US about that, we will always respect the rights of the Falkland Islanders to choose to be British.
‘That will never change under this Government, and we will be relentless in defending that.’
The renewed tensions over the Falklands have come after US President Donald Trump hinted the US would not help the UK in a future conflict over the archipelago.
But the UK Government has dismissed Mr Milei’s posturing and insisted Britain’s commitment to the Falklands is ‘absolute and unshakeable’.
Argentina has further stoked tensions over the Falkland Islands by launching more sanctions against oil exploration in the South Atlantic archipelago
Javier Milei, the Argentinian President, has moved to enforce a crackdown on oil exploration around the Falklands after reiterating his country’s claim on the islands
Argentina this week filed the criminal complaint against several Navitas subsidiaries and partners operating in the Falklands, along with their corporate directors.
Mr Milei’s administration alleges the firms violated Argentine law by holding oil and gas licenses issued by Britain in the North Falkland Basin.
The South American country’s government has also announced plans for new laws to intensify punitive action against firms involved in drilling activities in the Falklands.
In a 2013 referendum, the Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory, with 99.8 per cent voting in favour and just three votes against.
Although the US is formally neutral, Washington provided support for Britain’s campaign to retake the islands after the Argentinian invasion in 1982.
It sparked the Falklands War which saw 255 British service deaths in just over 70 bloody days. It also led to the deaths of 655 Argentinians and three Falkland Islanders.
Following a televised national address by Mr Milei last week, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a post on X: ‘The UK’s position on the Falkland Islands is unwavering.
‘The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders.
‘Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it.’
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