The House of Lords has dealt another blow to Sir Keir Starmer's government over the Chagos Islands deal, backing an amendment that demands renegotiation of the terms. The amendment, led by former military chiefs, seeks to ensure that UK payments to Mauritius cease if the military base on Diego Garcia becomes unusable. It was passed by 132 votes to 124, marking the government's fourth defeat on the issue in the upper chamber.
Under the current deal, the UK has agreed to pay Mauritius at least £120 million annually over the 99-year leaseback of the base, totalling at least £13 billion. The government estimates the annual cost at around £101 million, but critics argue it will be higher. The amendment requires the government to make arrangements for payments to stop if environmental or other issues permanently prevent military use of the base.
Former chief of defence staff Lord Houghton of Richmond said the bill makes no provision for revisiting the annual fee if the base becomes unusable. He warned of the unpredictability of geopolitics, referencing recent US interventions. Conservative shadow foreign minister Lord Callanan described it as unconscionable for British taxpayers to fund the Mauritian government if the base becomes inoperable.
In response, Foreign Office minister Baroness Chapman of Darlington said the treaty includes a mechanism for dealing with developments and is covered by international law. She added that steps are being taken to prevent the base from becoming unusable. The government also faced defeats on a Liberal Democrat measure calling for a referendum among Chagossians on resettlement rights, a Tory demand for detailed costing of payments, and another Lib Dem measure for parliamentary oversight of spending.
The amendments are likely to be reversed by MPs when the bill returns to the Commons, but they will delay formal agreement. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel called the defeats humiliating and accused the government of ignoring the Chagossian people and dodging scrutiny. The World Court urged Britain to return the islands to Mauritius in 2019, and a deal was finalised in May after years of negotiations.
