Just when Sir Keir Starmer thought it was safe to proceed, Donald Trump has delivered another public broadside against the UK's deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The US president has repeatedly shifted his stance, granting and then withdrawing support for the agreement over the past year.
Under the terms of the deal, the UK will relinquish control of the Chagos archipelago while paying to maintain the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island, under a 99-year lease. Washington's backing has been inconsistent, with the administration alternating between endorsement and opposition.
The pattern has left the UK government in a precarious position, as the deal requires US approval due to the strategic importance of the base. Trump's mercurial approach has introduced significant uncertainty into the negotiations.
