Nigel Farage issues stark warning to Keir Starmer in Chagos row | Politics | News
Nigel Farage has been furious with Sir Keir Starmer over reports that he blocked Donald Trump from using RAF bases to attack Iran. The US President is said to have withdrawn his support from the Chagos Islands deal after failing to get approval from the UK to use its military bases for a US attack on Tehran.
It comes after Mr Trump warned that the deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius and lease back the joint UK-US military base of Diego Garcia was a “big mistake”. The reform leader wrote of X: “If Keir Starmer’s real obsession with getting rid of the Chagos Islands is to destroy our strong defense relationship with America, then his government needs to go.”
Mr Trump’s new criticism of the controversial deal stems from the UK Government’s refusal to give the White House the green light to use the Diego Garcia base or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for possible military action against Iran, according to The Times.
The government’s position stems from concerns about violations of international law, which does not distinguish between the country that carried out the attack and the country that provided support “with knowledge of the circumstances of the act contrary to international law.”
Bases may only be used for military operations with the prior consent of the Government and must comply with UK law and the country’s interpretation of relevant international law.
The US President announced the deal, which was opposed by Reform UK and the Conservatives, on the Truth Social platform the next day.
He wrote: “If Iran decides not to make a deal, the US may need to use Diego Garcia and the airspace available at Fairford to ward off a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime – an attack that could potentially be made against the UK and other friendly countries.”
He added: “We will always be ready, willing and able to fight for the United Kingdom, but they must remain strong in the face of Wokeism and other problems put before them. DON’T GIVE OUT DIEGO GARCIA!”
The government says the future of the base is threatened by recent international court rulings.
The deal is expected to pay Mauritius around £35bn over the next century, or an average of £350m a year, to lease back the UK’s Diego Garcia base.
