UK Government denies lack of US support for deal over strategic Chagos Islands
The UK's deal to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is "strongly supported" by the United States, according to the Government.
In October, it was confirmed the islands would once again come under Mauritian control, although Diego Garcia would remain a military base for the US and UK – with Britain maintaining a 99-year lease over it.
It is the archipelago's most strategically vital asset and because of its location in the Indian Ocean it has been a significant hub for US naval and air operations.
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said the UK's deal did have Washington's support, although it still needs to be finalised.
He said the UK would not have signed the deal "if it weren't being supported by our US friends".
"This deal secures the operation of the UK-US based on Diego Garcia well into the next century," he said.
"And I expect that when everyone looks at the detail of the deal, they'll be backing it as well."
But shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge called on the Government to pause the deal until President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.
This is a view shared by the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, who told the Commons that senior officials in the new Trump administration were firmly against the deal.
"The presentation of what the American administration believes is a fantasy," he said.
"I have been contacted by very senior officials and advisers from the incoming Republican administration, and every single one of them is appalled at this deal.
"They know the leasehold agreement will not survive just as the deal with China over Hong Kong didn't survive.
"Hasn't the time come for the Government to admit this is a rotten deal for the UK, a rotten deal for America and an even worse deal for the Chagos Islands?"
At the time the deal was struck, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Government had "inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of the Diego Garcia military base was under threat".
And, after the deal, US President Joe Biden emphasised Diego Garcia's importance in balancing both sovereignty and strategic interests.
"This agreement affirms Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while granting the United Kingdom the authority to exercise the sovereign rights of Mauritius with respect to Diego Garcia," he said.
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