Sir Keir Starmer’s government has been forced to abandon legislation linked to a controversial plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after opposition from US President Donald Trump triggered a breakdown in support for the deal and intensified a widening rift in UK-US relations. According to reporting by Times UK, the bill underpinning the agreement will no longer be included in the King’s Speech, marking a significant setback for one of the government’s most sensitive foreign policy initiatives.
The proposed arrangement centred on the British Indian Ocean Territory, commonly known as the Chagos Islands, and particularly the strategically vital Diego Garcia military base. Under the now-stalled plan, the UK would have formally transferred sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius before immediately entering into a long-term lease agreement to continue operating the base for 99 years. The Times UK report indicates that while the government continues to support the framework of the deal, its implementation has been rendered politically unviable without US approval.
At the heart of the collapse is a sharp deterioration in relations between the UK leadership and President Trump. The report states that Trump initially supported the arrangement following discussions between intelligence agencies, but later reversed his position, describing the plan as an “act of great stupidity.” His opposition is understood to have been influenced by wider geopolitical disputes, including tensions over NATO strategy and disagreements involving territorial security interests in regions such as Greenland.
The UK government has expressed frustration at the reversal, with ministers reportedly acknowledging that the deal cannot proceed without US backing. The strategic importance of Diego Garcia, which hosts a critical joint UK-US military installation, has made American cooperation essential. The base has played a key role in operations across the Middle East and beyond, including missions linked to conflicts involving Iran, and is considered a cornerstone of Western military logistics in the Indian Ocean.
Concerns highlighted in the Times UK report suggest that any sovereignty transfer to Mauritius could introduce legal and operational complications for the base. Officials fear that Mauritius might pursue legal action through international tribunals seeking access to surrounding waters, potentially restricting the operational freedom of nuclear-powered submarines and other military assets stationed at Diego Garcia. Such developments, government sources argue, could weaken the strategic effectiveness of one of the most important military installations shared by the UK and the United States.
The political sensitivity of the issue has been further heightened by its financial and constitutional implications. The government had previously estimated the cost of the arrangement at around £3.5 billion, although critics, including opposition figures, argued the long-term cost could be significantly higher. The plan itself was already controversial within UK politics, facing resistance from Conservative and Reform UK lawmakers who argued it risked undermining British sovereignty and violating historic defence agreements with the United States.
The Times UK report situates the collapse of the legislation within a broader pattern of escalating tensions between Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and President Trump. Their relationship, once characterised by cooperation following earlier diplomatic engagements, has reportedly deteriorated during recent international crises, particularly surrounding military action and NATO coordination. The article notes that Trump has accused Starmer of weakness and criticised British restrictions on US military use of bases during early stages of regional conflicts.
In response, Starmer has defended his government’s positions, arguing that certain military actions lacked sufficient legal grounding and strategic planning. He has also voiced concern about global economic pressures, suggesting that leadership decisions in both Washington and Moscow have contributed to rising cost-of-living challenges in the UK. These exchanges have added further strain to already fragile diplomatic relations between the two leaders.
The collapse of the Chagos Islands legislation represents what Times UK describes as one of the most significant reversals of Starmer’s premiership to date. It also reflects broader political divisions within the UK, where opposition leaders have strongly criticised the government’s handling of the issue. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has argued that the proposed deal amounted to a surrender of sovereign territory, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also campaigned against the agreement, raising concerns in discussions with US political figures.
Underlying the dispute is the long and complex history of the Chagos Islands themselves. The territory has been under British administration since the early 19th century and was separated from Mauritius prior to its independence in the 1960s to facilitate the establishment of the Diego Garcia base. Mauritius has since continued to assert sovereignty claims over the islands, with international legal and advisory bodies increasingly recognising its position in recent years, further complicating the UK’s legal standing.
