Sir Keir Starmer has been urged by Labour MPs to put the final nail in the coffin for the Chagos deal after the Prime Minister shelved plans to “surrender” the archipelago.
Labour backbenchers have called on Sir Keir to abandon the plans altogether after it was revealed legislation to ratify the agreement will be omitted from the King’s Speech.
The Government was seeking the ratify the deal – which would see Britain transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while leasing back the joint US-UK Diego Garcia base on a 99-year agreement.
But a Bill to give the islands away was shelved from the King’ Speech after President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks.
The American leader lambasted the deal as an “act of great stupidity” and a “very woke thing”.
Britain cannot legally transfer sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius without American consent under a 1966 treaty between the two countries.
On Sunday, ministers insisted the agreement had not been completely axed yet, suggesting ratification was being paused while Labour attempts to regain the backing of the US.
But now, Sir Keir’s backbenchers have called on him to drop the deal for good to avoid “further embarrassment”.
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged by Labour MPs to put the final nail in the coffin for the Chagos deal
|
GETTYDan Carden, MP for Liverpool Walton, told The Times: “It’s clear the US administration doesn’t support the Chagos deal, and the Government should make the best of a bad situation and finally drop it.”
Meanwhile, Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley & Middleton South, urged the Prime Minister to “ditch this financially and militarily unjustifiable policy”.
On Sunday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting told the BBC that the Government had “not U-turned on our position on the Chagos Islands”.
He said: “I think it’s fair to say elements of the US administration have had a change of heart.
THE CHAGOS ‘SURRENDER’ – READ MORE:
Donald Trump lambasted the deal as an ‘act of great stupidity’ and a ‘very woke thing’
|
REUTERS“We said all the way along, we wouldn’t proceed without American support.”
Mr Streeting claimed the deal was “vital” for the collective security for both the US and Britain, adding: “We want to make sure that it is secure for the long term.”
“The Americans agree with that objective. We’ll work through with Washington to iron out some of the difficulties.
“We will be in the right position. The UK Government hasn’t changed its position but we need to take the Americans with us.”
However, the White House appears to be holding firm.
“Never say never, but it would take something truly extraordinary to change President Trump’s mind,” a Maga figure with close links to the administration told The Times.
“The failure of Starmer to back him with Iran is something you just don’t come back from.”
Mr Streeting claimed the deal was ‘vital’ for the collective security for both the US and Britain
|
GETTYMauritius has vowed to ‘decolonise’ the islands
|
GETTYLabour are said to be fearful of an international law-based backlash from Mauritius if the deal is formally scrapped, with concerns mounting that the Indian and Chinese-allied island nation could launch legal action against Britain under the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Despite the Chagos deal being shelved for now, the Mauritian Government has vowed that the archipelago will be “decolonised”.
The country’s Foreign Minister, Dhananjay Ramful, seethed: “We will spare no effort to seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process.”
“This is a matter of justice,” he added.
The deal would cost Britain approximately £35billion over 99 years to lease back the Diego Garcia base, which it currently enjoys for free.
The Foreign Office insists it will “secure the future of the base, ensuring that it can continue to operate securely for generations to come”.