Badenoch Pushes for Frigate Boost, Scrapping Chagos Deal

0:00On April 30th, Kimmy Botanosh, the Tory leader, is pushing ministers to drop the Chagos Islands deal and redirect the savings straight into speeding up. A new fleet of frigates for the Royal Navy. The deals are already stalled thanks to Donald Trump, and scrapping a could free up 400 million pounds right away to get these ships built. Faster, filling big gaps in Britain's defenses. These are the 13 frigates. The fleet advanced type 26 models and five general purpose type 31 ones that the last conservative. Government ordered. On the current schedule, they won't hit the water until at least 2028, but with round the clock shifts and tweaks to sea trials, Tories. Say some could arrive as early as next year, or two years ahead for the type 31s. Critics like Botanok slam labor for risking national security, from underfunding the forces to handing over British territory in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos plan would have seen Britain pay Mauritius up to 35 billion pounds over a century,

1:01including 670 million in the next. Three years, just at least back to key Diego Garcia base. Meanwhile, the conservatives also want 250 million pounds shifted to drone investments, while Navy bosses float cutting sea trial times. That drag on for up to two years. Recent conflicts expose weaknesses, like delays sending HMS diamond to Cyprus amid Middle East tensions. This push comes as questions swirl over whether the full frigate order will even stick, with slots sold to Norway and no firm word yet on replacements. In labor's delayed defense plan, leaving the Navy stretched thin until these ships arrive.