Prime Minister Andy Burnham has indicated a willingness to reconsider Labour's commitment to ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, suggesting the government intends to "recast the arrangement." This potential shift follows a withdrawal of U.S. support for the original deal and comes as the Prime Minister works toward a "shared plan" with the United States and Mauritius, with progress anticipated by the end of the year.
Under the terms previously agreed by Labour's Keir Starmer, Britain was set to transfer the Chagos Islands, officially the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius. The plan included leasing back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago, for 99 years. However, this agreement has reportedly stalled due to the U.S. retracting its backing.
U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly shifted his position after a dispute with Starmer concerning Iran policy earlier this year. Burnham encountered further criticism of the deal from Trump during their first meeting in September.
In an interview with The Economist, Burnham described his government's intention to "recast the arrangement," drawing a parallel to the agreement between Denmark and the U.S. concerning Greenland, which expanded American military presence there. Burnham was traveling to Antigua for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting when he spoke with the magazine.
During the summit, Burnham met with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. A Downing Street spokesperson stated that during their discussion, Burnham emphasized his commitment to collaborating with Mauritius and the U.S. on a path forward that would ensure the continued operation of the Diego Garcia base and safeguard national security for all three nations. The leaders agreed to develop a shared plan to advance the matter by year's end.
The initial deal with Mauritius reportedly would have cost Britain approximately £101 million annually over the 99-year lease of Diego Garcia, totaling around £3.4 billion. Critics, however, have voiced concerns that the actual cost could be significantly higher, potentially reaching £35 billion, and have raised apprehension about transferring control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which is considered an ally of China.