Trump Slaps Down Starmer As Labour Pulls Chagos Surrender Deal, Another Starmer U Turn

Keir Starmer was forced into an embarrassing retreat last night after Labour pulled its controversial Chagos Islands handover from a planned House of Lords debate — following direct pressure from Donald Trump.

The move came days after the US president branded Britain’s plan to surrender the strategically vital archipelago “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY,” warning it would hand a geopolitical gift to China and Russia.

Labour insisted the legislation was only being “delayed,” but critics said the sudden withdrawal exposed a deal now hanging by a thread — and dependent on Washington’s approval.

Conservative peer Daniel Hannan said the pause had opened a crucial window. “If the President sticks to what he said this week, the deal is off,” he said, adding that Britain’s reliance on US intervention was “humiliating” but potentially decisive.

Under the agreement signed last year, the UK would cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius — an ally of China — while paying billions to lease back the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, one of the West’s most important strategic assets in the Indian Ocean.

Although the Biden administration previously backed the deal, Trump dramatically reversed course after defence chiefs warned it could weaken security at the base. In a furious Truth Social post, Trump accused Britain of “total weakness” and said the decision was a national security failure.

Despite Downing Street vowing to press on, Labour sources conceded the legislation had been pulled to avoid defeat in the Lords, where opposition had been mounting — including from Labour peers.

Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel called the retreat a “major victory,” urging the government to scrap the deal entirely. Tory peers have also warned it could breach a 1966 UK-US treaty guaranteeing British sovereignty over the territory.

If abandoned, it would mark Sir Keir’s 15th U-turn in office — and another blow to Labour’s authority on defence and foreign policy.

Key Takeaways

• Labour pulled the Chagos handover Bill after Trump publicly torched the deal

• US security concerns now threaten to kill the agreement outright

• A full retreat would mark Starmer’s 15th U-turn and a major political humiliation

SOURCE DAILY MAIL

Beyond the "but..but..Richie Sunak" can any of the numerous sir kier fans here explain why paying Chinese buddies Mauritius(who never owned nor have claims over it) 30 BILLION pounds to accept this vital to national security gift is a good idea?

Not holding my breath

I've spent a lot of time in beautiful Mauritius. Perhaps its govt is a strategic ally of China but I saw no indication in ordinary Mauritians. Being tight with China is a smart move.

Mauritius suffered both French and British colonisation. It was populated by South Indian indentured labourers to harvest sugar. The Chagos Archipelago was under Mauritius administration since (ahem) the Napoleonic Wars! As well as coconut plantations, Diego Garcia served as a leper colony. Militaries are the new lepers. Regardless of politics, the island's military bases have a 99-year lease.

"Between 1967 and 1973, the entire population of the Chagos Archipelago [around 1,000 of African, Indian and Malay descent] was either prevented from returning or forcibly removed by the United Kingdom. [One tactic was killing all the Chagossians' dogs.] The removals were carried out to make way for the establishment of a joint UK–United States military base on Diego Garcia.The main forcible removal of Diego Garcia's population took place in July and September 1971." Good morning, Vietnam.