Javier Milei is a chancer, and this weak Government has invited his Falklands bluster

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The Falklands are British to the core, and it takes a feeble Government to let a failing populist think otherwise, writes former Attorney General and Conservative MP

Argentine President Javier Milei is a chancer. In a broadcast last night flanked by cronies, he adopted the style of General Leopoldo Galtieri's military junta in 1982. He claimed that Argentina will prevail over what he calls "a declining Britain". He wants the Falkland Islands.

Let's be clear what he really wants – to distract the Argentine electorate from his declining popularity at home, and to stake a claim to billions of pounds worth of oil that has recently been discovered in waters off the British territory. The Islands are British to the core. Legally, morally and historically.

There is a Viscount Falkland today, the 15th of his line – and guess what? He is not named after the Falklands, it's the Islands that are named after him! Or his ancestor, the 5th Viscount, to be precise. The Islands were named in 1690 when the English captain John Strong landed on the then uninhabited archipelago.

After that, Britain established its first settlement there in 1765. What is now Argentina only declared independence from Spain in 1816. After some skirmishes, we finally had unequivocal control of the Falklands by 1833 – and Argentina only adopted their first Constitution 20 years later, in 1853.

So, rather like the Elgin Marbles (which were British before Greece even existed as a breakaway nation from the Ottoman Empire), the Falklands were British before Argentina existed!

It's the fault of this ultra-weak British Government, which insists on sending out all the wrong signals.

Despots and chancers around the world are emboldened because they see the UK projecting weakness and appeasement.

Look at these examples of how this Government's appeasement encourages our enemies:

The Chagos Islands: this Government's extraordinary insistence on giving away a vital strategic asset (and paying an exorbitant amount for the privilege), to which Mauritius has about as much of an authentic claim as Myanmar.

On Iran, we sided against our historic allies, the Americans, and declined to allow the use of our bases, something successive British Governments of all colours had allowed for fifty years. Oh yes, we allow it now, but too late – as President Trump told Bev Turner on GB News last night, we weren't there when the Americans needed us. Lasting damage has been done by that woeful decision. And is Iran thanking us? On the contrary – we are high on their list for attack.

On Cyprus we couldn't defend the island when Iran struck our base there. A wave of sentiment has since grown on Cyprus for the UK to return the Sovereign Bases to Cypriot control.

On Gibraltar, we have allowed hypocrisy to win the day with Spain. Madrid's aggression and constant posturing over Gibraltar has led to the UK appeasing them by allowing unfettered access to the colony. Instead of pointing out Spain's territorial assets in North Africa and the hypocrisy of their stance, we acquiesce – and since July, Spain now effectively controls the border with Gibraltar.

The Elgin Marbles are another case in point: all of a sudden, after decades of refusal, this British Government allows signals from the British Museum that the sculptures could be sent to Greece, despite the fact we still have the receipt given by the authorities in Athens when Lord Elgin saved them from certain destruction in 1801.

On slavery reparations, the Caribbean nations are posturing with absurd legal claims because they think this British Government is stupid enough to comply with their demands – and the Church of England is seeking to do just that.

On Israel, the UK shows the best example of its weakness. This Government has been one of the most hostile states in the Western world to Israel whilst that country fights for Western values against terrorists who want to destroy us next. Labour even recognised a non-existent Palestinian state, contrary to international precedent, when Hamas was still holding British and American hostages. That will be a lasting disgrace to the history of this nation for decades to come.

It's true that the British military is weaker than it was, but we still can deal with Argentina – one Royal Navy submarine could put an end to the Argentine military single-handedly if need be. After all, the entire Argentine defence equipment spend is less than £1billion – the UK wastes more than that on public inquiries!

But this British Government has consistently been projecting weakness. An emboldened Russia is one of the consequences. An emboldened Argentina is another.