Minister claims Chagos Islands debate delayed by ‘sabotage’

The UK government has said it “remains confident” that the deal to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is “the best way forward”, despite criticism from US President Donald Trump.

Foreign Secretary Stephen Doughty defended the deal, accusing his Conservative counterparts of using “parliamentary tricks” to try to “sabotage” legislation designed to ratify the deal in UK law.

The government postponed debate on the bill in the House of Lords on Monday after Conservative colleagues tabled an amendment calling for a pause “in light of changing geopolitical circumstances”.

Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the delay showed “Labour’s contempt for capitulation in Chagos continues”.

Under the terms of the deal, the UK will give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and pay for the lease back of the joint US-UK military base in Diego Garcia.

Questions about the future of the agreement emerged last week after Trump described it as “an act of great stupidity.” Although the management was previously satisfied with the conditions.

The bill to enact the agreement is currently in what is known as a “ping-pong” stage of parliamentary wrangling, which sees legislation move between the House of Commons and the House of Lords until the text is agreed.

Ahead of the final round, the Conservatives claimed that passing the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill would put Britain in breach of the 1966 agreement with the US over the islands.

The opposition called on the government to ensure agreement is reached with the United States on the 1966 treaty before the bill is presented to the House of Lords.

Responding to an urgent question from the Conservatives in the House of Commons, Doughty said the next stage of the bill had been delayed because the opposition had proposed a “devastating amendment” that “plays with our national security”.

He said: “The government is committed to the agreement protecting the joint UK-US base at Diego Garcia.

“Some tried to sabotage the process with procedural motions and demonstrations in parliament.

“Instead, we focused on introducing this bill to protect our national security.”

Dame Priti, for the Conservatives, accused the government of hoping to “force” the bill through the House of Lords.

He said: “In its haste to satisfy the wishes of its left-wing lawyer friends, Labor has ignored this 1966 agreement between the UK and the US, which stated that the British Indian Ocean Territory would remain under UK sovereignty.”

Dame Priti asked for detailed information about the recent negotiations between the UK and the USA regarding the agreement.

He said: “It’s time for Labor to be sensible and scrap this deal and defend Britain.”

Doughty said the government was “clear” that the 1966 agreement between Britain and the US needed to be updated before the new agreement was ratified.

He added that the UK was “in daily contact with the US on matters relating to our national security”.

Labor MP Dan Carden said he had “agreed with the government up to this point” but it was “against my instincts” and he “couldn’t understand exactly what we’re doing here”.

Carden told parliament: “International agreements do not protect us against our enemies or our allies; sovereignty does.”

“I think the people we represent will really ask: ‘Why can’t the Prime Minister come forward and assert sovereignty over these islands and make it clear that we have the military defenses to defend them?'”

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller called on the government to accept his party’s amendment and asked for “a pause until the US position is clear”.

Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans asked whether the Chagos deal could go forward without US support.

Doughty replied: “We have consistently made clear that before the UK ratifies the agreement we must: pass primary and secondary legislation; update the UK-US agreement, exchange notes and introduce regulations on the environment, maritime security and immigration.”

The government argued that it was forced to give up sovereignty over the region due to international law decisions in favor of Mauritius.

Britain said it would pay Mauritius an average of £101 million a year for 99 years; Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer claimed this was a “net cost” of £3.4bn after adjusting for factors including inflation.