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UK Halts Chagos Island Deal After Trump Opposition
The $35 billion deal would have transferred sovereignty to Mauritius and kept the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease, officials said.
- On Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shelved the bill transferring Chagos Islands sovereignty to Mauritius after President Donald Trump withdrew support for the agreement.
- The bill will not feature in the King's Speech in mid-May as officials ran out of time before Parliament's dissolution and failed to secure the formal exchange of letters required from the Trump administration.
- Negotiators proposed a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia with annual costs of £101m, totaling a projected £35bn commitment for the United Kingdom and United States operations.
- Ministers acknowledged they cannot proceed without backing from the United States, though a government spokesperson maintained ensuring the base's security remains the "entire reason for the deal."
- Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the deal a "surrender," while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage called the shelving "great news," as Britain faces balancing decolonisation pressures with Diego Garcia base access.
227 Articles
227 Articles
Chagos Islands deal shelved – legal expert explains what happens next
The UK government has shelved legislation to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after the US government withdrew its support for the deal. Until and unless the US gives their consent, the UK will not be able to pass legislation, and the treaty between the UK and Mauritius to transfer sovereignty, signed in 2025, cannot be put into effect. This is because the agreement would require a 1966 British-American treaty on the Chagos Islands to be …
The archipelago hosts the Anglo-American military base Diego Garcia. After initially approving the project, the United States refused to send the necessary documents to ratify the agreement after Starmer did not grant its use to attack Iran
Starmer Puts Chagos Islands Deal on Hold
Britain said on Saturday it has paused plans to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, delaying legislation needed for the deal amid opposition from Donald Trump. The islands host the key U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government said it will seek Washington’s approval before moving forward. The agreement would lease back the base to Britain for 99 years to preserve U.S. operations. London …
After the U.S. was unable to formally confirm its approval.
Britain puts Chagos Islands deal on hold, citing US opposition
LONDON — Britain said Saturday that it was suspending its plan to give up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, which are home to a strategically important British and American military base, following criticism from President Donald Trump.
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