Derrick Wyatt's Law and Policy Blog

I know this is much quoted, but it must continue to have resonance for every British Prime Minister. It is Harold Macmillan's reply to the question "what was the greatest challenge for a statesman?" and he replied: ‘Events, dear boy, events’.

Since the Greens have overtaken Labour in the polls and are snapping at Reform's heels, it might be a good idea to clarify that the first part of this statement is a long term aim while the second part represents the foreseeable future

In various statements President Trump has criticised the UK's failure to support US attacks on Iran. This position was coordinated with France and Germany and a joint statement issued. But in separate statements Trump has praised the positions of France and Germany.
🤪🤪

Would you support or oppose allowing the US to launch air strikes Iran from RAF bases in the UK?
YouGov 20 Feb
No majority in any party for this, but most support from Reform
Will be interesting to see how opinion develops

The E3 - France, Germany and the UK ready to destroy Iranian missile and drone bases as self-defence and UK authorises the US to use UK bases including Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands, which had previously been denied.

2/ The UK should adopt this relativist approach to international law
Because some states are rogue states which do not respect law of any kind
A relativist approach has characterised the rules-based international order for centuries
And It is streets ahead of Trump's rejection of international law

1/What commitment should the UK make to the rules-based international order?
The UK Ministerial Code gives international law parity with UK law
Which an imperfect international order does not merit
But the UK should opt for international law unless an overriding UK interest dictates the contrary

E3 - France, Germany and the UK, condemn Iran's retaliation to US strikes on Iran and express support for the aims of US action
The US action is contrary to international law, but no mention of that, because of support for US war aims
UK has it seems refused use of UK bases for the US strikes

Potential Starmer U-turn on the Chagos Islands leaked to Trump True Brit** reveals that all options are on the table for a rethink of the Chagos agreement

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/potential-...
More correspondence between (imaginary) Trump ally True Brit and his pen pal in the White House reveals a draft of a Starmer climb-down on the Chagos agreement - perhaps a glimpse of what extending the current "pause" on ratification might look like.

Hard Power and Legitimacy in the Chagos Archipelago It is US hard power, rather than the Chagos agreement or any successor to it, that will ensure that Diego Garcia can continue to play its role in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

www.e-ir.info/2026/02/22/h...
Legitimacy matters – both to cement the support of allies, and to increase the political risks of adversaries. Through the Chagos agreement the UK has offered universal legitimacy for the US presence on Diego Garcia and in the Chagos Archipelago.

Macron’s last shot to extend France’s nuclear umbrella over Europe EU allies — most importantly Germany — are warming to the French president’s offer of nuclear protection, but Macron is running out of time to deliver a major strategic shift.

www.politico.eu/article/emma...
France thinking of stationing nuclear-capable jets in other European countries, under French control
Germany will only pay if it gets operational independence
Poland thinking of its own nuclear weapons
How much of this would Putin allow?
Or Trump?

Potential Starmer U-turn on the Chagos Islands leaked to Trump True Brit** reveals that all options are on the table for a rethink of the Chagos agreement

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/potential-...
More correspondence between (imaginary) Trump ally True Brit and his pen pal in the White House reveals a draft of a Starmer climb-down on the Chagos agreement - perhaps a glimpse of what extending the current "pause" on ratification might look like.

UK’s Starmer: Ukraine war the most critical issue of our age The British PM will co-host a virtual “coalition of the willing” meeting on Tuesday.

www.politico.eu/article/uk-k...
Starmer is right that the Ukraine war is the most critiical issue of our age, because Putin's inspiration for Europe is a mix of the former USSR and the Russian Empire at its most expansionist BUT
that means spending another £20-30billion a year, starting
yesterday.

I would like to join, please.

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-end-of-t...
Punchy hard truths from @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social who highlights the growing divide between the US and its European allies over values, including the rules-based order, and how the US's abandonment of them damages Greenland, Ukraine, and the US itself.
And see⬇️⬇️

might interest @alexmartin.bsky.social

might interest @brigidfowler.bsky.social @liliebayer.bsky.social @cfr.org @foreignaffairs.com @foreignpolicy.com @fpri.bsky.social

Hard Power and Legitimacy in the Chagos Archipelago It is US hard power, rather than the Chagos agreement or any successor to it, that will ensure that Diego Garcia can continue to play its role in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

www.e-ir.info/2026/02/22/h...
Legitimacy matters – both to cement the support of allies, and to increase the political risks of adversaries. Through the Chagos agreement the UK has offered universal legitimacy for the US presence on Diego Garcia and in the Chagos Archipelago.

A Trump takeover of the Chagos Islands is always a possibility Starmer’s Chagos deal safeguards US interests – even on nuclear weapons – but if Trump objects the deal has to stay on hold

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/a-trump-ta...
A Trump takeover of the Chagos Islands is always a possibility
Starmer’s Chagos deal safeguards US interests – even on nuclear weapons – but if Trump objects the deal has to stay on hold writes @blogwyatt.bsky.social

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested for misconduct in public office Police confirm searches at addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk after convoy of cars was seen at Sandringham estate on Andrew’s 66th birthday

www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-fam...
"Be you never so high, the law is above you."

I think he is still thinking about the ICC, in which the US does not participate and has no judge. Still a US judge on the ICJ of course.

A confused Nigel Farage pans "an opinion of the International Criminal Court on the Chagos Islands"
But the opinion came from the International Court of Justice
And only 3 countries in the world backed the UK/US in opposing a vote in the UN backing the opinion
all led by chums of Trump at the time

Though to the north, east and south of Diego Garcia, spy ships outside the 12-mile limit can get quite a lot of gen on the base, regardless of who is sovereign of the Archipelago, because the internal waters of the archipelago lie more or less north-northwest of the island.

More fake news
"There would be nothing to stop the Chinese maintaining some sort of presence on land (albeit short of a lease) or at sea disturbingly close to Diego Garcia."
Wrong
The UK gets a veto on foreign forces or any sort of development from a beach hut to a base anywhere in the Archipelago

PM Starmer:

We must build our hard power because that is the currency of the age. We must be able to deter aggression.

And yes, if necessary, we must be ready to fight. To do whatever it takes to protect our people, our values and our way of life.

A really simplified take on why the High Court decided that proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation was disproportionate and therefore unlawful/

PALESTINE ACTION
Core of PA ready to terrorise with serious damage to property and guilty of several such acts
The criminal law is enough to deal with them.
But proscription was excessive and illegal for the many who wanted to protest peacefully under PA's banner against atrocities and its backers

thehill.com/opinion/nati...
"The U.S. would have no influence on the more than 60 islands around the base at Diego Garcia, on which Mauritius plans to build settlements and infrastructure with Chinese assistance."
Wrong - under the Chagos deal the UK can veto any development, even by Mauritius.

How first-past-the-post could bring proportional representation to the House of Commons The UK's first-past-the-post system could be made more democratic by weighting the votes of MPs to reflect their parties’ shares of the national vote, without changing the electoral system.

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/how-the-ho...
How first-past-the-post could bring proportional representation to the House of Commons
@makevotesmatter.bsky.social
@libdemdaisy.bsky.social

Trump backs Keir Starmer’s deal on Chagos Islands The US president said in January that the agreement ceding the territory to Mauritius was an ‘act of great stupidity’ but now says it is the best the prime minister could do

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Trump backs Chagos deal but says Diego Garcia base must never be undermined by "fake claims or environmental nonsense."
(FYI - under the deal Mauritius retains sovereignty over environmental issues BUT Mauritius can only exercise under conditions agreed with the UK)