David Lammy: Chagos deal won’t go forward if Donald Trump rejects it

The Chagos Islands deal won’t go ahead with out the assist of US President Donald Trump, the overseas secretary has stated.

David Lammy advised ITV’s Peston programme, the UK had “a shared army and intelligence curiosity” with the US “and naturally they have to be pleased with the deal or there isn’t any deal”.

The UK is in talks with Mauritius about handing over the territory however persevering with to lease one of many islands, Diego Garcia, which accommodates a UK-US army airbase.

Nonetheless, progress has been delayed to permit the brand new US administration to take a look at the small print of the deal.

It comes as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer heads to Washington for talks with Trump, the place the main target is anticipated to be on the Ukraine battle.

Requested if Trump had a veto on the Chagos deal, Lammy, who can be within the US for the go to, advised ITV: “If President Trump would not just like the deal, the deal won’t go ahead and the explanation for that’s as a result of we have now a shared army and intelligence curiosity with the USA and naturally they have to be pleased with the deal or there isn’t any deal.”

The overseas secretary added that he nonetheless believed “it is the very best deal”.

Earlier this month Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam stated US representatives can be current in negotiations over the islands.

The plan to cede sovereignty of the archipelago, identified formally because the British Indian Ocean Territory, was introduced final October after a deal was reached with former Mauritian chief Pravind Jugnauth.

However he was swept from energy in a common election a month later, and Ramgoolam has criticised the deal negotiated by his predecessor.

The settlement has additionally been mired in uncertainty after Trump’s re-election as US president, given a number of US Republicans have argued it might ship a possible safety increase to China.

Earlier, Sir Keir confronted questions over whether or not the cash to pay Mauritius for leasing again the army base would come out of the rise in defence spending introduced on Tuesday.

Pressed over the difficulty by Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch throughout Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir refused to say straight whether or not this is able to be the case.

He advised the Commons the hike in defence spending was “for {our capability} on defence and safety in Europe”.

The PM added that the Chagos deal was “extraordinarily necessary for our safety” and the small print and value can be put earlier than MPs when finalised.

The UK authorities has by no means confirmed the estimated value of funds underneath the deal, however there have been studies of a determine starting from £9bn to £18bn.

Sir Keir stated “the figures being bandied round are completely extensive of the mark”.

Mauritius, a former British colony, has lengthy argued that it was illegally compelled to present the Chagos Islands away in return for its personal independence in 1968.

The UK has come underneath growing worldwide strain at hand over management of the archipelago after varied United Nations our bodies, together with its high courtroom and common meeting, sided with Mauritian sovereignty claims lately.

The earlier Conservative authorities opened negotiations over their authorized standing in late 2022, however has attacked the settlement struck by Labour.