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UK suspends Chagos sovereignty plan amid US silence
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has shelved legislation to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after the United States failed to formally endorse the agreement, despite earlier backing. The decision follows public criticism from President Donald Trump, who called the deal an "act of total weakness" in January.
Legislative deadline missed
UK officials confirmed the bill will not pass before Parliament is prorogued in the coming weeks. A new Chagos-related proposal is also unlikely to appear in the King's Speech scheduled for mid-May. The delay stems from the absence of a formal exchange of letters from Washington-a legal prerequisite for enacting the treaty.
Strategic and diplomatic tensions
The Chagos Islands, a British territory in the Indian Ocean since the 19th century, host the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. Under the shelved deal, the UK would cede sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing back the base for an annual £101 million ($136 million).
A government spokesperson emphasized the base's strategic importance: "Diego Garcia is vital for both nations' security. The agreement aimed to secure its future, but we will only proceed with explicit US support."
Trump's reversal and political fallout
The US initially welcomed the deal when it was signed in May 2025. However, Trump later condemned it on social media, urging Starmer not to "give away Diego Garcia" and calling it "a blight on our great ally." His comments contradicted the State Department's formal endorsement the previous day.
"If Keir Starmer's Chagos surrender now finds its rightful place-on the ash heap of history-it will be because Conservatives led the fight against it from day one."
Kemi Badenoch, Conservative Party leader
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage hailed the pause as "long overdue," while Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller criticized the handling as "shambolic" and warned of Trump's "fickle approach" undermining US-UK relations.
Chagossian community reacts
Many Chagossians, displaced from the islands in the 1960s and 1970s, oppose the deal, viewing it as a betrayal. They advocate for UK sovereignty to enable their eventual return. The shelving of the agreement has drawn mixed reactions, with some opposition figures demanding a clearer path for resettlement.
What's next
Officials say the UK remains committed to the deal's principles but will not advance without US confirmation. Diplomatic engagement with Washington and Mauritius continues, though no timeline for resuming the process has been set.
