Sir Keir Starmer has been forced into a dramatic U-turn over his Chagos Islands bill following furious backlash from Donald Trump.
The legislation, to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, was set to be debated in the House of Lords on Monday, but it was delayed on Friday after the Conservatives warned that the deal could violate a 1966 treaty with the US. The Tories tabled a motion in the House of Lords on Friday morning to delay any ratification of the treaty, so they could conclude discussions and avoid breaching international law, reports The Telegraph.
Kemi Badenoch had previously expressed her disapproval of the plans, calling it a “terrible policy” and saying the US President’s comments were “right”.
Donald Trump sent shockwaves through the Labour Party after he said the deal would be “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” on Truth Social on January 20.
The Chagos Islands deal would have seen the UK hand back sovereignty of the archipelago and lease back the Diego Garcia military base, which has been used by UK and US forces since it was built in the 1970s.
Trump’s outburst came months after his administration had expressed support for the bill, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it a “monumental achievement” in May.
Mauritius’ attorney general responded that his country’s sovereignty over the Chagos Islands “should no longer be subject to debate”.
Ministers said in late December that the US and UK were discussing updates to the 1966 treaty, which asserts Britain’s sovereignty over the islands, but the talks have not yet been concluded.
The Labour backtrack comes at a tense time for relations between Keir Starmer and the US president.
On Monday at an emergency press conference, Keir Starmer criticised Donald Trump‘s attempts to bring Greenland under US control. Sir Keir said alliances were built on “respect and partnership, not pressure”.
Sir Keir described the remarks as “insulting and frankly appalling”, and called for an apology. The US President’s comments triggered widespread backlash, including from Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan.
The Duke of Sussex said the sacrifices of 457 service personnel killed in service, and the wider impacts on families, “deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace”.