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Starmer, Keir

UK Set to Sign Away Chagos Islands in Controversial Deal Worth £9 Billion

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is poised to sign away British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, a deal worth £9 billion to Mauritius, and agree to a 99-year lease to rent back a military base there. The move has been met with criticism from the Conservative and Reform UK parties, who warn that the deal will put the military base at risk due to Mauritius's diplomatic ties with Britain's enemies abroad.

The deal, which was negotiated by Labour's special envoy for the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), Jonathan Powell, will give up British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and see the UK contribute development funding for Mauritius through a new "Chagos fund". The UK will also lease back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years, with the option to extend for a further 40 years. Critics argue that the islands should have been given up by the UK when Mauritius was granted independence in 1968.

Key Takeaways:

  • The deal will cost the UK taxpayer around £9 billion, making it the first significant loss of British territory since the independence of Hong Kong in 1997.
  • The agreement will give up British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands and grant a 99-year lease to rent back a military base on Diego Garcia.
  • The Chagos fund will see Britain contribute development funding for Mauritius, with the exact amount to be determined.
  • Mauritius has been growing closer to Russia, Iran, and China in recent months, with representatives from the governments exchanging warm words on diplomatic visits.
  • The deal has been met with criticism from the Conservative and Reform UK parties, who warn that it will put the military base at risk.
  • The Labour government argues that the legal ambiguity around the islands is a national security risk and that the operation of the base on Diego Garcia could be endangered if another court issued a binding ruling against the UK.

Statistics:

  • £9 billion: The estimated cost to the UK taxpayer of the deal.
  • 99 years: The length of the lease for the Diego Garcia base.
  • 40 years: The potential length of any future extension to the lease.
  • 1968: The year Mauritius was granted independence.
  • 1997: The year Hong Kong returned to China, marking the last significant loss of British territory.
  • 2019: The year the International Court of Justice ruled that Mauritius should have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.

Sources:

  • The Telegraph, "Keir Starmer to sign away British sovereignty over Chagos Islands in £9bn deal",

[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/26/keir-starmer-sign-away-british-sovereignty-chagos-islands-9bn/](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/07/26/keir-starmer-sign-away-british-sovereignty-chagos-islands-9bn/)

  • The Times, "Chagos Islands deal is 'toxic' and 'will put Britain's interests at risk'",

[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chagos-islands-deal-is-toxic-and-will-put-britains-interests-at-risk-pxtx45crb](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chagos-islands-deal-is-toxic-and-will-put-britains-interests-at-risk-pxtx45crb)

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