Sir Keir Starmer's fledgling government has been dealt a humiliating blow after dramatically withdrawing a key vote on the Chagos Islands agreement, exposing the administration's lack of parliamentary muscle in the upper chamber.
Government Retreats Amid Certain Defeat
In a stunning admission of weakness, Labour whips pulled the scheduled vote on the controversial Chagos settlement after realising they lacked the numbers to secure victory. The move represents a significant early embarrassment for Starmer's team, which had been pushing through the deal to hand over control of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius.
Constitutional Clash Looms
The abandoned vote centres on a motion to approve the agreement struck by former Foreign Secretary David Cameron, which would see Mauritius gain sovereignty over the archipelago. However, peers from across the political spectrum had raised serious concerns about the deal's implications for national security and the rights of Chagossians.
Conservative and crossbench peers had united in opposition, creating an insurmountable hurdle for the government in the unelected chamber. The dramatic pullback occurred just hours before the scheduled vote, with government sources admitting they faced almost certain defeat.
Security Fears Dominate Debate
Critics of the deal argue that surrendering control of the strategically vital islands, which host a crucial US military base on Diego Garcia, could compromise Western security interests in the Indian Ocean. The proposed agreement would grant Britain continued access to the base, but opponents question the long-term reliability of such an arrangement under Mauritian sovereignty.
Former Conservative minister Lord Goldsmith condemned the deal as "a shameful surrender of British territory", while crossbench peers expressed concerns about the precedent it would set for other British overseas territories.
What Happens Next?
The government now faces several difficult options:
- Return to negotiations with Mauritius to secure better terms
- Attempt to build broader cross-party support in the Lords
- Accept that the deal cannot proceed in its current form
- Consider alternative arrangements for the territory
This early parliamentary setback raises questions about Starmer's ability to deliver on his foreign policy agenda and highlights the challenges of governing without a majority in the House of Lords. The episode serves as a stark reminder that despite Labour's landslide general election victory, the real battle for policy implementation often occurs in the corridors of the upper house.
