Starmer and Trump Bridge Divide to Secure Chagos Military Base Future
In a significant diplomatic development, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and former US President Donald Trump have reached an agreement to ensure the continued operation of the vital UK-US military installation on the Chagos Islands. Downing Street has confirmed that both leaders have committed to "continue working closely to guarantee the future operation" of the strategic facility, marking their first known discussion on this contentious matter since Mr Trump's fierce criticism of the UK's handover arrangement last month.
Strategic Importance Acknowledged Amid Previous Tensions
A Number 10 spokeswoman, providing a readout of their Tuesday telephone conversation, stated: "Turning to Diego Garcia, and the deal the UK has secured to maintain control of the US-UK military base to protect national security, the leaders recognised its strategic importance. The leaders agreed their governments would continue working closely to guarantee the future operation of the base and speak again soon."
This agreement comes despite Mr Trump's previous vehement opposition to the arrangement, which he described in January as an "act of great stupidity" and an "act of total weakness." The former president had claimed the site of the crucial military installation was being given away "for no reason whatsoever," creating significant transatlantic tensions at the time.
The Complex Sovereignty Transfer Agreement
The controversial deal, projected to cost approximately £35 billion over the next century, involves a complex arrangement where the UK will cede sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while simultaneously leasing back the vital military installation on Diego Garcia for at least 99 years. This arrangement aims to secure the long-term future of what both nations consider a strategically critical asset.
Legislation to ratify this agreement is currently nearing its final stages in Parliament, though progress has been notably stalled since Mr Trump's January outburst. Interestingly, a previous call between Sir Keir and Mr Trump on January 24 made no mention of the Chagos Islands situation, highlighting how this specific issue has now moved to the forefront of bilateral discussions.
Government Addresses Internal Concerns and Legal Challenges
Earlier on Tuesday, Downing Street firmly asserted that the case for the Chagos Islands deal remained "crystal clear," following claims from Lord Mandelson regarding a potential "wobble" within the Government. The former ambassador to the United States, who has recently faced controversy over his connections to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, suggested there were concerns about both the deal's substantial cost and its legal necessity.
In a revealing interview with The Times, Lord Mandelson stated that in spring 2025, he "became aware of a serious wobble in London over the agreement and its sellability to the British public." He elaborated further: "That was to do with the price tag and whether we had the total legal obligation to enter the deal and whether the original legal case made for the agreement in Whitehall was as watertight as was claimed. So on the one hand, I faced a sceptical US administration and then at another point a wobbly government of my own behind me."
The Prime Minister's official spokesman robustly dismissed any concerns regarding the deal's legal foundations. He stated unequivocally: "We've been crystal clear about the importance of this deal and we inherited a situation where the effective operation of the military base was under threat. Claims that we negotiated this deal solely because of the 2019 ICJ advisory opinion are simply wrong. That wasn't the only challenge we faced."
Addressing Operational Realities and International Pressures
The spokesman provided further clarification about the practical considerations driving the agreement: "Without a deal, Mauritius would inevitably pursue a legally binding judgment, and that judgment would then be applied by countries and international organisations alike. And without a deal, we'd face serious, real-world operational impacts on the base."
Regarding the alleged "wobble" within government circles, the spokesman attributed this to the natural scrutiny that follows political transitions, noting that both the United States and Mauritius experienced changes of government in November 2024. He concluded definitively: "We continue to work with the US at every level but our position remains unchanged."
This diplomatic breakthrough represents a notable shift from the previous month's tensions, with Sir Keir having previously insisted that Mr Trump had initially backed the deal "in very clear terms" following approval from US intelligence agencies. The Prime Minister had pointed to public expressions of support from the former president's administration as evidence of this earlier endorsement.
Lord Mandelson expressed being "mildly horrified" by Mr Trump's January attack, having personally worked to secure his administration's support for the arrangement. The agreement between Starmer and Trump now appears to have restored a working consensus on maintaining this strategically vital military asset despite the complex sovereignty arrangements and substantial financial commitments involved.
