Pressure is mounting on Sir Keir Starmer to abandon his controversial plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, with Labour MPs now joining the opposition. The Prime Minister has paused the next stage of legislation needed to ratify the deal, but critics are calling for a complete halt.
Senior Labour backbencher Dan Carden said the plan should be scrapped entirely, arguing that 'national security and the sovereignty of British territory have to be our top priority'. He added: 'This is not about obeying Trump - it's about using common sense and doing the right thing for the country.'
Former Labour minister Graham Stringer branded the deal 'terrible' and urged Starmer to rethink. 'Given that we now know that the US administration is definitely against this, I expect more Labour colleagues will now come out against this terrible plan,' he said. Stringer also warned that the deal could cost the UK up to £35 billion in payments to Mauritius.
The pause in legislation came after US President Donald Trump criticised the handover as 'an act of great stupidity'. The Government insists the deal will still go ahead, with a spokesman saying: 'The Government remains fully committed to the deal to secure the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia, which is vital for our national security.'
However, Labour MPs are increasingly concerned, with some arguing that the changed geopolitical landscape since the agreement was reached in October 2024 warrants a rethink. The Chagos Islands include Diego Garcia, which hosts a major UK-US military base.
