Keir Starmer has been dealt a huge blow after the new prime minister of Mauritius condemned a deal to give his country sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
Dr Navin Ramgoolam, who was elected after the agreement with the UK was reached, claimed the current terms “would not produce the benefits that the nation could expect.”
The Chagos Islands are strategically significant because of their location in the Indian Ocean and also contain a UK-US military base at Diego Garcia.
The UK government announced in October that it had reached an agreement to hand over control of the territory to Mauritius - but the military base would continue to operate as it does at the moment.
Foreign secretary David Lammy said the move would “strengthen our role in safeguarding global security”.
But critics, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, accused the government of an “act of surrender” which put other overseas territories, such as the Falkland Islands, at risk.
Dr Ramgoolam’s comments cast major doubt on the deal, despite the government insisting earlier today that the handover would still go ahead.
In a written ministerial statement, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said: “The prime minister and foreign secretary met the then Mauritian prime minister in London on 23 July.
“The political agreement between the prime minister and then Mauritian prime minister was reached on 3 October. The new Mauritian prime minister has since written to the prime minister to reaffirm his commitment to concluding the deal.”
Chagossians were forced to leave the central Indian Ocean territory by 1973 to make way for the military base at Diego Garcia.
The expulsions are regarded as one of the most shameful parts of Britain’s modern colonial history and Chagossians have spent decades fighting to return to the islands.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) previously ruled the UK’s administration of the territory was “unlawful” and must end.
Outgoing US president Joe Biden welcomed the deal between Mauritius and the UK.
He said: “I applaud the historic agreement and conclusion of the negotiations between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the status of the Chagos Archipelago.
“It is a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.”
But president-elect Donald Trump is thought to be sceptical about the agreement.
Responding to Dr Ramgoolam’s comments, Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said: “We’ve always said we want to engage with the new administration in order to finalise the deal.
“I can’t go into the detail of the discussions, but our position is clear. We think the agreement protects the UK/US security at the base which was under threat and remains in both sides’ shared interests.”