UK stalls Chagos Islands deal until Trump administration can ‘consider details’ | The Chagos Islands

The British government will not sign a deal to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius until Donald Trump’s administration has had a chance to consider the future of the joint military base, Downing Street has confirmed.

Allies of the US president-elect have been critical of the deal because of the implications for the strategically important Diego Garcia base, with concerns it could bolster Chinese interests in the Indian Ocean.

Ministers had previously hoped to secure an agreement with Mauritius on the islands’ future before Trump is sworn in next Monday.

But when asked about reports the Mauritian government was seeking further talks, Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “We will only agree to a deal that is in Britain’s best interests and protects our national security. It is now obviously right that the new US administration has a chance to consider this and discuss this when they’re in office … It’s only fair that the new US administration has a chance to consider the details.”

The spokesman dismissed suggestions Trump would have a “veto” on the deal after the Mauritian government was reported to have hosted a special cabinet meeting to discuss the latest proposals. The Mauritian government is seeking further concessions and, instead of signing the agreement, has sent a delegation back to London for more negotiations.

The UK plans to hand over its final African colony to Mauritius while leasing back the Diego Garcia base used by the US at a reported cost of £90m. per year for 99 years. The British government argues that international court rulings in favor of Mauritian sovereignty mean that a treaty on the archipelago’s future is the only way to guarantee the base’s continued operation.

The Labor administration reached an agreement with Mauritius, but a change of government there and the election of Trump in the US have stalled progress. Discussions about the deal initially began under the Conservatives.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state, and Mike Waltz, the incoming national security adviser, have both been critical of the plan and are believed to be following the issue closely. However, Joe Biden was supportive.

Starmer defended the deal during Commons clashes with the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch. “We inherited a situation where the long-term operation of a vital military base was threatened due to legal challenge,” he said.

“The negotiations were started under the last government. The then Secretary of State came to this House to tell why he started negotiations and what he wanted to achieve. He said the aim was to ‘ensure the continued effective operation of the base’. That is exactly what this deal has delivered.”

Badenoch said the Prime Minister “negotiated a secret deal to surrender British territory and the taxpayers of this country will pay for the humiliation”.

Asked if her party, which started the talks, was “part of the problem”, Badenoch’s spokesman later said: “Starting the talks is not the mistake, it is the current state of the talks. She knew when to walk away from a bad deal , and it’s clear what Labor is negotiating at the moment is a bad deal. There’s an ongoing issue, which is why the previous government started the negotiations, but the current deal is not fit for purpose.”