Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended his government’s deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, arguing it is necessary to protect the long-term operation of the critical UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Starmer said the agreement had been designed to “secure the long term future” of the base, which he claimed was “vital to our national security.” He accused his Conservative opponents of “talking our country down” and claimed the deal was needed to provide “legal certainty” for the base’s operations.
However, Tory leadership contender Kemi Badenoch labelled the deal an “immoral surrender” that would see money handed over which “belongs to our children and their children.” She claimed the agreement would allow “north London lawyers to boast at their dinner parties” rather than protect British interests.
Starmer insisted the government had no choice but to proceed with the deal, arguing that without legal certainty, “the base cannot operate in practical terms as it should” which would be “a gift to our adversaries.” He promised to provide full details of the agreement once it is finalised.
The Prime Minister also faced criticism from Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, who claimed there was “no legal basis” for handing over the islands’ sovereignty and warned the UK could face US trade tariffs as a result. But Starmer dismissed the concerns, insisting the deal would safeguard the Diego Garcia base for decades to come.
