Keir Starmer has decided to halt the progression of the Chagos Islands bill in Parliament following critical remarks from Donald Trump, who described it as “an act of stupidity.”
The Government condemned Tory peers for their actions in the House of Lords, which aimed to disrupt the ratification of the deal granting Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, previously under British rule for two centuries.
In May, the UK and Mauritius signed an agreement for the transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. The bill to confirm this deal was anticipated to return to the House of Lords on Monday.
The process was unexpectedly delayed shortly after President Trump’s disapproving comments. Trump suggested that the UK relinquishing sovereignty over the islands could be a reason for the US to consider taking control of Greenland, a notion he later retracted.
The pause in proceedings comes amidst concerns from Tory members that the deal may clash with a 1960s treaty affirming the UK’s ownership of the Islands.
A Government spokesperson emphasized the commitment to the deal securing the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia, crucial for national security. They criticized the peers’ actions as irresponsible and detrimental to national security interests.
A source from Labour Lords attributed the pause to the actions of Tory peers who attempted to disrupt the government bill shortly before a scheduled debate.
The Chagos Islands have been under British control since 1814, established as the British Indian Ocean Territory in 1965. The native Chagossian population was forcibly relocated to allow the US to build a military base on Diego Garcia.
Last year, the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while retaining control of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. The leaseback agreement for Diego Garcia is estimated to cost the UK £101 million annually.
Tory Shadow Home Secretary Priti Patel claimed credit for the legislative pause, characterizing it as a victory against Keir Starmer’s perceived surrender of the Chagos Islands. Patel criticized the deal that she believes hands over British territory and funds to a Chinese ally and called for its abandonment, vowing Conservative opposition to the surrender.