Chagos deal paused over Trump opposition, minister confirms
Chagos deal paused over Trump opposition, minister confirms
The agreement to transfer Chagos Islands sovereignty to Mauritius has been indefinitely delayed due to U.S. President Donald Trump withdrawing his backing, according to Foreign Secretary Stephen Doughty. The proposed pact would have transferred control of the islands to Mauritius while enabling the UK to retain a joint military base on Diego Garcia through annual lease payments averaging £101 million.
Doughty’s statement, prompted by a Conservative Urgent Question, follows a BBC report that Sir Keir Starmer had postponed the deal. Speaking in the House of Commons, Doughty repeatedly directed blame toward Trump, showing signs of frustration, as he announced that legislation would not advance in this parliamentary session. Earlier on Monday, the prime minister’s official spokesperson remained non-committal on reintroducing legislation for the next session, set to begin on May 13.
“In recent weeks, the U.S. president’s position has shifted, making it impossible to reach a political agreement on updating the 1966 UK-US Exchange of Notes treaty concerning the British Indian Ocean Territory’s defense availability.”
Doughty stated that the treaty had been negotiated in close coordination with the U.S. under both current and previous administrations, including one Trump had previously called “very strong and powerful.” He emphasized that the need for the agreement has not changed, despite the delay.
The UK and Mauritius finalized the agreement in May 2023, but the final version of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill remains unratified, with no payments issued during the delay. Doughty confirmed to Conservative former minister Dame Harriett Baldwin that the costs tied to the treaty cannot be finalized without the legislation passing.
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel pressed Doughty to confirm whether the government would pursue new legislation next session without Trump’s support. She asked: “Will he rule out any new legislation coming forward next session, even if it isn’t in the King’s Speech, so that the surrender treaty cannot become operable?” Doughty responded by stating the Conservatives had “started this process” but did not explicitly commit to a fresh Bill.
Parliament has already agreed to “carry over” five Bills from the current session, allowing debate to continue after May 13. However, the Chagos Bill is not among them. UK officials will now discuss next steps with the U.S. and Mauritius.
Critics argue the actual cost could reach approximately £35 billion when adjusted for inflation, and the deal risks opening the door for China to gain a strategic foothold on the islands. Under the terms of the agreement, Britain would hand sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but lease back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years, with official figures giving the total as £3.4 billion.