Lord Richard Hermer is one of several high-ranking government officials ousted as part of newly installed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Cabinet reshuffle.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Lord Richard Hermer, architect of the British government’s Chagos Islands surrender deal, has been sacked as Attorney General by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve my country as attorney general over the last two years. I’ve been so lucky to be a part of [former Prime Minister Staremer’s] team, as he delivered for the public at home while rebuilding the UK’s reputation abroad, in particular on the rule of law.” – Lord Hermer on Bluesky, having left X (formerly Twitter) after accusing the platform of racism 📰 DETAIL: On Monday, Andy Burnham, leader of the governing Labour Party and Member of Parliament (MP) for Makerfield, officially became Prime Minister. Following his first speech as Prime Minister, Burnham set about reshuffling his Cabinet. Among others, Lord Hermer was removed from the Cabinet. He had served as Attorney General, the highest law officer in the United Kingdom, under former Prime Minister and personal friend Sir Keir Starmer, who announced his resignation in late June. Lord Hermer was a central figure in creating and pushing the Chagos Islands deal, which involves handing over the Chagos Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius, an ally of China with no real claim to the archipelago. The treaty ceding control of the Islands to Mauritius was signed by the British government last year, although the legislation required to finalize the deal was shelved following widespread backlash, including from President Donald J. Trump. Under the deal, Britain is expected to pay Mauritius over a 99-year period for a lease of Diego Garcia, one of the Islands, which it currently owns outright for free, and which hosts a strategic British-American military base. 🎯 IMPACT: Lord Hermer’s departure suggests a possible change of direction at the Ministry of Justice. Roughly six months ago, President Trump described the deal as “an act of great stupidity.” Last month, the President even offered to buy the Chagos Islands to prevent them from being ceded to Mauritius. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was reportedly pivotal in influencing the President’s opposition to the deal. Its terms are widely considered bizarre, with Britain paying a foreign state to take away territory it is under no obligation to surrender. |
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