United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly been forced to drop legislation underpinning the UK’s controversial Chagos Islands sovereignty deal after President Donald Trump branded the agreement “an act of great stupidity” and withdrew U.S. support.
According to The Times, the bill, which would have ceded sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius while securing a long-term lease for the Diego Garcia military base, will not be included in the King’s Speech next month.
Ministers say they remain committed to the treaty but acknowledge they cannot proceed without Washington’s backing.
The UK government had believed it had secured U.S. support following extensive discussions between intelligence agencies.
However, officials said Trump changed his position during a dispute with NATO over Greenland, abruptly denouncing the Chagos deal.
“We are deeply frustrated,” one minister said, noting that Trump’s reversal jeopardizes the future of Diego Garcia, a critical joint UK-US base used during the Iran war.
Without U.S. backing, officials fear Mauritius could mount legal challenges that would grant it access to surrounding waters, complicating nuclear submarine patrols and regional security operations.
2025 treaty on the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago
On 22 May 2025, the UK and Mauritius signed an agreement granting Mauritius sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, with the UK retaining rights over Diego Garcia.
The treaty provided for a 99-year lease of the base, extendable by up to 80 years, and annual payments to Mauritius averaging £101 million, totaling £3.4 billion over the initial term.
Mauritius pledged to allow the U.S. and UK access to Diego Garcia while prohibiting other powers from using the outer islands without UK consent.
The agreement also permitted resettlement of Chagossians on all islands except Diego Garcia and established a marine protected area.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam hailed the deal as completing the process of decolonization begun in 1968.
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The Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill was introduced in July 2025 to implement the treaty in UK law.
While Labor ministers defended the agreement as vital to national security, Conservatives opposed it, citing costs and warning of risks posed by Mauritius’s ties to China.
Liberal Democrats supported acting in line with international law but demanded assurances that the U.S. use of the base would align with UK foreign policy.
Despite opposition motions in both Houses, the treaty was not blocked during the statutory scrutiny period, allowing ratification to proceed.
February dispute
In February 2026, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer told MPs the UK was “pausing” the legislative process while discussions continued with the U.S.
Government sources later insisted there was “no pause,” but Trump’s public intervention on Truth Social — urging Starmer not to “give away Diego Garcia” — cast fresh doubt on the deal.
Trump described the agreement as “a blight on our great ally,” contradicting the U.S. Department of State, which had formally backed the treaty only a day earlier.
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Diego Garcia has long been a cornerstone of U.S. and UK military operations in the Indian Ocean, hosting nuclear submarines, satellite communications, and regional patrols.
The base was central during conflicts in the Middle East and remains critical amid tensions with Iran and China. UK officials argue the treaty was necessary to avert binding legal judgments that could undermine the use of the base and to secure the archipelago against rival powers.
They say the costs represent less than 0.2% of the defense budget and are consistent with international practice for overseas bases.
The Chagos Archipelago has been subject to sovereignty disputes since the UK detached it from Mauritius in 1965 to form the British Indian Ocean Territory.
International courts have issued non-binding opinions supporting Mauritius’s claim, and successive UK governments pledged to cede sovereignty once the territory was no longer required for defense.
The removal of Chagossian inhabitants between 1968 and 1973 remains a source of controversy, with campaigners pressing for resettlement rights. The 2025 treaty allowed Mauritius to arrange resettlement on all islands except Diego Garcia.
