Lammy defends Chagos Islands deal as Tories claim it puts UK security at risk – as it happened

UK-based Chagos Islanders protest outside of the Houses of Parliament on 7 October. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

6.01pm BST

Early evening summary

• David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has said that the deal giving the Chagos Island to Mauritius will protect relations with the US. Speaking in the Commons, he said:

Inaction posed several acute risks to the United Kingdom. First, it threatened the UK-US base from countering malign Iranian activity in the Middle East to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

It’s critical for our national security. Without surety of tenure, no base can operate effectively nor truly deter our enemies. Critical investment decisions were already being delayed.

Second, it impacted on our relationship with the United States who neither wanted nor welcomed the legal uncertainty and strongly encouraged us to strike a deal. I am a trans-Atlanticist. We had to protect this important relationship.

And third, it undermined our international standing where showing what we mean is what we say on international law and our desire for partnerships with the Global South. This strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine or the South China Sea.

• Keir Starmer has told MPs that stopping all arms sales to Israel will “never” be his position. Speaking in the Commons, he said:

If sale of weapons for defensive use by Israel were banned, that is a position that I could not countenance a year after October the 7th. It is not a position I could countenance in the face of attacks by Iran.

The whole House saw the number of missiles coming over into Israel only the other day, and the idea that we could say we support Israel’s right to defend herself, and at the same time deprive her of the means to do so, is so wholly inconsistent that it will never be my position.

• John Healey, the defence secretary, has denied that No 10 is at a crisis point despite the prime minister’s chief of staff leaving her post less than 100 days into the new Labour government.

• Rachel Reeves has decided not to raise tax on pensions contributions in this month’s budget, after public sector unions warned that doing so would hurt their members.

5.48pm BST

Mark Francois (Con) asks how much the UK will pay in rent to lease back something “already ours”.

Lammy says, when the treaty is published, there will be a discussion of the cost. It is not having a deal that would damage national security, he says.