Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that US intelligence agencies disagree with Donald Trump's recent opposition to the Chagos Islands deal, insisting the agreement is a 'done deal' that will not be derailed by the US president. Speaking on a flight to Beijing, Starmer emphasised that the Trump administration had previously supported the deal after a three-month review at agency level.
Downing Street sources told the Guardian that the UK government has received no indication from the US Department of State or intelligence agencies that they have changed their stance, despite Trump's fiery rhetoric. They suggested Trump's apparent U-turn may be linked to his efforts to acquire Greenland, with the US president having claimed the Chagos deal was an 'act of great stupidity'.
Starmer confirmed he had discussed Chagos with Trump multiple times, noting that the deal was paused for three months when the Trump administration took office to allow for a thorough review. 'Once they'd done that, they were very clear in their pronouncements that they supported the deal,' Starmer said, citing statements from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump himself.
The Labour government agreed in October 2024 to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, securing a 99-year lease for the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia at a projected cost of £3.4bn. The deal was originally backed by Washington, with British officials saying US counterparts were concerned about the base's future if Mauritius won a case at the International Court of Justice.
Despite Trump's recent social media posts calling the deal 'an act of great stupidity' and linking it to his desire for Greenland, Starmer said he 'will not yield' on the issue. The next stage of the Chagos bill has been delayed in the House of Lords, with Downing Street citing ongoing discussions with the US.
