Chagos Deal Suspended Due to Trump’s Withdrawal, Minister Confirms
Foreign Secretary Stephen Doughty revealed that the UK-Mauritius agreement on the Chagos Islands has been indefinitely suspended, citing U.S. President Donald Trump’s retraction of support. The original plan would have transferred sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius while enabling the UK to lease a U.S.-UK military base on Diego Garcia for £101m annually. Trump, who once endorsed the treaty, abruptly reversed his stance in January, condemning it as an “act of total weakness.”
The suspension follows the BBC’s report that Sir Keir Starmer had postponed the deal. During a House of Commons session, Doughty emphasized that Trump’s shift in position has made it “impossible to agree at political level” on updating the 1966 UK-US agreement, known as the Exchange of Notes. This update is critical for ratifying the treaty, which was negotiated with U.S. collaboration under both current and prior administrations. Doughty noted that Trump had previously praised the agreement as “very strong and powerful,” but recent actions have undermined its progress.
“In recent weeks, the position of the United States president appears to have changed. And this means that, in practical terms, it has become impossible to agree at political level an update to the 1966 UK-US agreement concerning the Availability for Defence Purposes of the British Indian Ocean Territory,” Doughty stated.
The UK and Mauritius finalized the agreement in May of last year, but the legislation to formally end British control over the islands remains unpassed. A final version of the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill has yet to secure approval from both the Commons and Lords. Without the treaty’s ratification, no payments will be made during the delay, Doughty confirmed to former Conservative minister Dame Harriett Baldwin.
Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel pressed Doughty to clarify whether the government would proceed without U.S. backing. She asked: “Will he rule out any new legislation coming forward next session, even if it isn’t in the King’s Speech, so that the surrender treaty cannot become operable?” Doughty responded that the Conservatives had initiated the process but did not explicitly commit to a new bill. The prime minister’s spokesperson added that legislation would be announced “in the usual way” once the King’s Speech is released on 13 May.
While the deal’s core terms remain unchanged, opponents argue the true cost could reach £35 billion when adjusted for inflation, raising concerns about long-term financial implications. They also warn that the agreement might allow China to expand its influence in the region. Parliament has already agreed to extend debates on five other bills, but the Chagos Bill is not among them, signaling its uncertain future as discussions with the U.S. and Mauritius continue.
