Labour MPs have voted to advance a controversial deal with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands, despite sharp warnings from opposition politicians and senior military figures about its implications for UK and US security.
The deal will see the UK pay £165m a year to rent Diego Garcia Airbase for the first three years. The rent payments will then be set at £120m a year, increasing in line with inflation from year 14. Alongside other costs, including a one-off £40m payment to a “Chagossian fund”, the price of the deal in cash terms is £34.7bn. The deal was successfully negotiated by Philippe Sands KC, an international lawyer and close confidant of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who has served as legal counsel to the Mauritian government
The British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, which covers the Diego Garcia military base, passed its second reading in the House of Commons by a majority of 151 votes, with 330 MPs in favor and 179 against. The Bill lays the groundwork for a new arrangement with Mauritius over the future of the strategically vital archipelago.
Defence Secretary John Healey came under pressure to finally disclose details of the agreement during the debate, after weeks of speculation about its impact on the UK-US military presence in the region. Several Conservative MPs argued that ceding control to Mauritius could open the door to increased Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.
Defence minister Luke Pollard defended the Bill, insisting the new law would neutralize a legal “threat” to the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia. The government maintains that the agreement protects operational capabilities and national security interests.
Despite these assurances, concerns remain. Former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps and ex-Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith have joined other politicians and retired senior military officers in signing a letter to Donald Trump, urging the former US President to intervene and block the deal. While current US President Joe Biden has already signaled his support, the letter reflects ongoing anxiety over the deal’s long-term consequences.
On social media, opposition voices were vocal. Restore UK MP Rupert Lowe wrote on Twitter, “I voted against the Chagos Island surrender bill yesterday in Parliament. A rotten deal for British security, a rotten deal for the British people, and a rotten deal for Britain. Our country has been betrayed.”
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has defended the deal as a necessary step to secure the future of the military base and UK interests in the Indian Ocean, but the debate is far from settled. With the Bill now moving forward, questions about sovereignty, security, and Britain’s role in the region are unlikely to fade any time soon.
Southampton Times will report shortly on how Southampton MPs voted on this issue, widely expected it will be in line with Party policy rather than local or national interest.
