Sir Keir Starmer has been put under pressure to make his 16th U-turn after Donald Trump last night rubbished the Prime Minister’s Chagos “surrender” deal.
The US President had initially supported Sir Keir’s decision to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius.
However, Mr Trump expressed grave concerns about the US losing access to its Diego Garcia military base.
He said: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel is now demanding the Prime Minister cancels the £35billion deal.
The Witham MP said: “It’s time Starmer finally saw sense, U-turned and scrapped this appalling deal altogether.
“Giving up British sovereign territory to an ally of China and paying for the privilege is irresponsible and reckless and is clearly undermining our relationship with our most important ally.”
Tory peer Lord Hannan, who warned Sir Keir his Chagos deal “is over”, added: “The question is how to deal with the officials who put us in this humiliating position: Peter Mandelson, Vijay Rangarajan, Richard Hermer, Jonathan Powell. I won’t bother adding Keir Starmer. He is already toast.”
However, a Foreign Office spokesman said: “The deal to secure the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia military is crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe.
“The agreement we have reached is the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base”
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Donald Trump is ‘absolutely right’ to call on UK to abandon Chagos deal, says Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith has praised Donald Trump after the President slapped down the UK’s Chagos deal with Mauritius.
The former Conservative leader said: “President Trump is absolutely right to tell Starmer to abandon the terrible Chagos deal with Mauritius.
“[Mr Trump] understands how strategically important the airbase at Diego Garcia is. It is a bad deal that would cost UK taxpayers £34.7billion.
“There was never any legal reason for us to enter into any agreement with Mauritius…none at all.
“The Chagossian people should be allowed to return to their islands as British citizens, with control over their domestic affairs.”
We’ll be joined by the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green on GB News Breakfast from 9am this morning.
Reform plans to ‘flood the zone’ in coming weeks
Nigel Farage unveiled Reform UK’s ‘shadow cabinet’ on Tuesday
| PA
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK plans to “flood the zone” in the run up to the local elections.
The party’s senior team is set to use rallies, interviews and speeches across the country after their “shadow cabinet” was unveiled, reports The Spectator.
However, the party’s moves were criticised by the Conservatives, with one senior Tory saying: “It was a policy-lazy announcement. They’ve dodged the hard work on social policy.”
Full timeline of Donald Trump’s stance on Chagos
President Donald Trump has changed his stance on the Chagos deal multiple times over the past 12 months.
On February 27, 2025, in a meeting in the Oval Office with Sir Keir Starmer, the President indicated he would be prepared to back the deal, saying: “We’re going to have some discussions about that very soon, and I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well.”
The deal was officially signed by President Trump on April 1.
However, fast forward to January 20 this year when President Trump described it as an “act of great stupidity” in a post on his Truth Social page.
On February 5, President Trump then said he had “very productive discussions” with Sir Keir, adding: “I understand that the deal Prime Minister Starmer has made, according to many, the best he could make.”
Yesterday, Wednesday, February 18, the Department of State said it “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos archipelago.”
Nigel Farage: PM must cancel Chagos ‘surrender deal’ over risk to special relationship
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called on Sir Keir Starmer to cancel his Chagos handover deal.
Mr Farage said: “Keir Starmer risks alienating our most important ally by giving away the Chagos Islands, the worst deal in British history.
“President Trump is right to say the Prime Minister is making a big mistake. Starmer must cancel this deal.”
READ IN FULL: Donald Trump’s Chagos deal slapdown
Donald Trump brutally slap down Sir Keir Starmer over the Prime Minister’s Chagos handover deal last night.
In a Truth Social post, Mr Trump said: “I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is ‘claiming’ Right, Title, and interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean.”
He added: “Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before.
“In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature. Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime – an attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries.”