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The Sun Will Set On The British Empire
The sun has not set on the British Empire for about 200 years. As a result of yesterday’s decision to cede the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, this will no longer be true at some point in 2025. The point at which the sun will actually set is somewhat indeterminate because of sunlight in the British Antarctic Territory for several more months (see map projection below), but it is estimated that a setting sun in the Pitcairn Islands will mark the date sometime early next year. The Chagos Islands, also referred to as the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), include Diego Garcia, where the U.S. has a joint military base. It will be preserved.
With all of today’s attacks on “colonialism,” I suppose that I shouldn’t find this sad. Still, as a descendant of some fine English stock of Empire-years gone by, I do.
[bad joke stifled]
Yeah. Not really.
Current status is that–in spite of Starmer–there will have to be a Parliamentary vote on the matter of turning over the Chagos Islands. Unfortunately, given the Labour majority, and despite their lower proportion of the popular vote, it’ll probably pass. Still, it will require all MPs to publicly state their position which, I suppose, is something, if not all that much.
No country is an island, not even those that are islands.
Heck, given enough time, Ireland might have even written all of Shakespeare!
(the previously-stifled joke)