Starmer ‘putting security at risk’ and wasting billions by handing over Chagos islands

Sir Keir Starmer was accused of putting “the defence and security of Britain and our allies” at risk by pressing ahead with a deal to hand over the Chagos islands.

Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel also accused Labour of wasting billions of pounds as it prepared to give the islands in the Indian Ocean to Mauritius, even though they are home to a strategically vital UK-US military base.

Incoming US President has condemned the handover but Sir Keir and Foreign Secretary David Lammy are going ahead anyway, with Downing Street saying “good progress” has been made.

The UK is to pay to lease back the base for 99 years and and Downing Street has refused to reveal how much the deal will cost taxpayers.

But it’s been reported that the UK is to pay around £90 million per year, with several years of payments made in advance.

Ms Patel said: “ and David Lammy’s Chagos giveaway will undermine our national interest and the defence and security of Britain and our allies.

“The surrender of our sovereignty over Chagos not only leaves us exposed to greater security threats, but it is economically illiterate. At a time when public spending is under serious pressure, they are also signing up to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money leasing back a site that is currently under our sovereignty.

“And to add insult to injury, they are doing all this in secret, with Labour ministers keep refusing to explain the details to Parliament and the British public. They must urgently come clean on what exactly this surrender is going to cost us.”

British Chagossians have held protests against the handover plan outside Parliament.

The Labour Government agreed to give up control over the islands following a long-running legal battle which resulted in the International Court of Justice and the UN supporting Mauritian claims to sovereignty.

But the move has been condemned by the , while Mr Trump’s pick for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has described the deal as a threat to US security because of its implications for the Diego Garcia base.

Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said the UK wants to get the deal finalised before Mr Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

He is understood to have pushed for more money after restarting negotiations, arguing that the draft deal he inherited on taking office in November 2024 “would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect”.

In a joint statement on Monday, the UK and Mauritian Governments said they remain committed to a deal following talks in London.

“Good progress has been made and discussions are ongoing to reach an agreement that is in both sides’ interests,” the statement said.

“Both countries reiterated their commitment to concluding a treaty providing that Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago; and that would ensure the long-term, secure and effective operation of the base on Diego Garcia.”