Kemi Badenoch joined Donald Trump in criticising the UK government’s plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, branding the proposal “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” and warning that it could undermine Western security interests.
Badenoch wrote on X: “Keir Starmer’s plan weakens UK security, hands away sovereign territory, and leaves us and our NATO allies weaker in the face of our enemies.”
Meanwhile, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the agreement — under which Britain would hand over sovereignty while leasing back the strategically vital military base on Diego Garcia — was reckless and ill-considered. He argued that the move was emblematic of broader failures among US allies and cited it as one of the reasons he believes the United States should seek control of Greenland.
“Shockingly, our ‘brilliant’ NATO ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. military base, to Mauritius, and to do so for no reason whatsoever,” Trump wrote.
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Diego Garcia hosts a joint UK-US military base regarded as critical to Western operations in the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the agreement, saying the UK would retain full responsibility for defence and security of the base under a 99-year lease arrangement, at an estimated annual cost of £101m. The government has argued that the deal was necessary following adverse international court rulings that weakened Britain’s legal position over the territory.
In a recent statement, the UK government said the base had come under threat “after court decisions undermined our position”, leaving London with little choice but to reach a negotiated settlement.
The text of the agreement, signed in May 2025 but not yet ratified by Parliament, sets out wide-ranging commitments. It recognises Mauritian sovereignty over the entire Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, while granting the UK full authority over defence and security on the island. Mauritius would be permitted to begin a programme of resettlement on islands other than Diego Garcia, while Britain would provide annual payments, capitalise a trust fund for displaced Chagossians, and deliver development funding over a 25-year period. The deal runs for 99 years, with an option for a further 40-year extension.
Kemi Badenoch urged the prime minister to abandon the agreement, arguing that Britain still has time to change course before parliamentary ratification.
The dispute has reignited wider debate about Britain’s post-war record of territorial handovers. Since the Second World War, the UK has relinquished control of more than 60 countries, islands and military bases, the largest decolonisation process in modern history. These include independence for countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, and withdrawal from major overseas bases such as the Suez Canal Zone.
However, critics argue that the Chagos case is unique due to the ongoing strategic importance of Diego Garcia and the direct involvement of US military interests.
With Parliament yet to ratify the agreement, the Chagos Islands remain British territory — for now. But the escalating political row, fuelled by Trump’s intervention and growing domestic opposition, suggests the future of the deal is far from settled.
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