Andy Burnham is facing pressure from Labour figures to abandon what they have described as a “disastrous” plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, as he travels to the United States for talks with Donald Trump over the agreement.
The Prime Minister told his Mauritian counterpart, Navin Ramgoolam, that he would do “everything possible” to help secure the handover during a phone call last night.
The Government’s proposed treaty would transfer sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while allowing the UK to lease back Diego Garcia and retain control of its strategically important military base. The agreement has been on hold since April after resistance from the Trump administration.
The conversation with the Mauritian prime minister came before a bilateral meeting between Mr Burnham and Mr Trump today. The US president previously described the Chagos agreement as “an act of great stupidity”, despite having initially supported the proposal.
A senior Labour backbencher warned that the deal could weaken the UK’s position over other overseas territories, including the Falkland Islands, which remain the subject of renewed claims by Argentina.
Dan Carden, a former shadow cabinet minister, said the policy risked leaving Britain “beaten around” on the international stage.
Speaking to Politics.co.uk, he said: “It will be a domino effect, and we don’t take overseas territories seriously.
“We need to look at how we actually give the territories a stake in Parliament and a stake in government.
“So I hope Andy is capable of doing that, and I have some hope that he will look at the disastrous Chagos deal and drop it, and look to do something different – because he’s got the ability and the capacity to do that.”
The Prime Minister spoke with his Mauritian counterpart Navin Ramgoolam last night, with Downing Street saying he “underlined his commitment” to working with Mauritius
The Government’s treaty plan has been paused since April after opposition from the Trump administration, despite provisions to retain UK control of the Diego Garcia base
Downing Street said the Prime Minister had “underlined his commitment” to working with both Mauritius and the United States to protect the future operation of the Diego Garcia military facility.
However, the account released by the Mauritian prime minister’s office went further than the statement issued by No 10. It said: “The British Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to continue doing everything possible, alongside the United States, to secure the treaty’s ratification, as the United Kingdom recognizes the need to guarantee the use of the Diego Garcia military base for its security.”
The statement prompted an angry response from opponents of the deal. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Why can’t Andy Burnham do ‘everything possible’ to bring down the cost of welfare, or do ‘everything possible’ to fund defence properly?
“Why is giving away this territory such a priority for Labour that they are willing to give away billions to do so when there’s little money for anything else?”
The proposed Chagos agreement follows a ruling by the International Court of Justice and would transfer sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius.
Under the terms of the plan, Diego Garcia would then be leased back to the UK for 99 years, with the possibility of extending the arrangement beyond that period.
The Conservatives and the White House have opposed the proposal, citing concerns over security and its financial implications. Some estimates suggest the deal could cost as much as £35 billion over the next century.
Asked about the call by reporters while travelling to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Burnham said: “So, I said that we remain determined to secure the long-term operation of the base, which is crucial to our security and that of our allies.
“The assurance I gave was I will work towards a resolution, at the moment we don’t have that, but I gave an assurance that I would commit to working towards one.”
A Downing Street spokesman said on Monday: ‘The Prime Minister spoke with the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, this afternoon.
‘The Prime Minister began by setting out his intention for the UK and Mauritius to work closely together.
‘He noted the clear benefits the two countries could bring to each other across a range of shared objectives, including tackling climate change, combatting illicit finance, and boosting growth and trade, as they looked to create opportunities for people at home.
‘Turning to the future of the military base on Diego Garcia, the Prime Minister underlined his commitment to working with Mauritius and the United States on a way forward that secures the operation of the base and protects UK national security.
‘The two leaders agreed to stay in close contact, with the Prime Minister adding that he hoped the UK Foreign Secretary and Mauritian Foreign Minister Ramful would be able to meet this week at UNGA to further strengthen the relationship between the UK and Mauritius.’
