Starmer signs deal to hand over Chagos Islands after 11th-hour legal challenge fails

22 May 2025, 17:15 | Updated: 22 May 2025, 17:18

Sir Keir Starmer has signed a deal to hand the Chagos Island over to Mauritius, which will cost the UK £101 million a year.

The deal sees Britain give up sovereignty of the island territory to Mauritius and lease back a crucial military base there.

The government claims the landmark agreement will secure the future of the strategically critical UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, one of our most significant contributions to the transatlantic defence and security partnership.

The base has played a vital role in defending the UK and its allies for over 50 years.

It is also key in operations that support UK forces and our allies across the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia.

The previous government started negotiations over two years ago, and they held 11 out of the 13 rounds of talks that underpin the deal.

All Five Eyes partners – the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – back the agreement, along with India, recognising the critical role Diego Garcia plays in upholding global stability and deterring adversaries.

Read more: Chagos Islands injunction should be discharged, High Court judge says

Read more: Where are the Chagos Islands?

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: “As the world becomes more dangerous, our military base on Diego Garcia becomes more important. Today’s Treaty secures full operational control, strengthens our UK-US defence partnership and keeps British people safe at home for the next 99 years and beyond.

“Without this base, our ability to deter terrorists, defend our interests and protect our troops around the world would be at risk. This agreement will safeguard our national and economic security for generations to come.”

Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel told LBC: "The Conservatives in the last government put an end to any discussions and negotiations because what Labour are relying on is basically an arbitrary, non-binding legal opinion. And it's really important to emphasise that basically Keir Starmer and "Calamity" Lammy are clearly desperately worried that their lefty lawyer friends are going to keep on challenging the government, had they not have just sort of signed this over and they have basically felt compelled to sign up to this and effectively surrender the Chagos Islands instead of actually standing tall for Britain and standing tall for the Chagossians".

Former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "(Keir Starmer) is trying to make it sound as if the sacrificing of British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and this particular agreement was the only way of protecting the ongoing use of the military facilities on Diego Garcia. And I don't agree with that proposition.

"If this was the only way to secure the base, then that is what the Conservatives would have done when we were in government. But I don't agree. I didn't agree that that is the only way of doing it. Which is why neither I nor David Cameron, when he took over from me as Foreign Secretary, signed off this agreement or indeed anything like this agreement. This is not the only way of protecting the military use on those islands. And to claim otherwise, I think is deeply disingenuous".

The future of the deal was thrown into question when a High Court injunction blocked the end of negotiations.

However, a judge cleared the way for the government to sign the deal.

Mr Justice Goose granted an injunction at 2.25am against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for “interim relief” to Bertrice Pompe, one of two British women born on the Chagos Islands who is set to bring legal action against the government over the deal.

After an urgent hearing on Thursday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said the injunction should be discharged.

He said: “I have concluded that the stay granted by Mr Justice Goose should be discharged and there should be no further interim relief.”

He later said: “The public interest and the interests of the United Kingdom would be substantially prejudiced by the grant or continuance of interim relief, and these matters provide a strong public interest reason against the continuance of interim relief.”

The government welcomed the ruling, saying the agreement is “vital to protect the British people and our national security”.