PRITI'S MISSION TO SAVE CHAGOS

Sir Keir faces humiliation over Islands 'surrender'

- DAVID WILLIAMSON

DAME Priti Patel flies into Washington today on a mission to stop the Chagos Islands surrender.

Sir Keir Starmer faces fresh humiliation this week if the Shadow Foreign Secretary forces him into a U-turn on the deal, which is also opposed by Donald Trump.

Dame Priti, left, told the Sunday Express: “I will do everything I can to kill the Chagos surrender once and for all.”

The Tory, who will be meeting senior figures in the US administration, said the “surrender cannot proceed without American support”.The Prime Minister is under increasing pressure to scrap the deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius.

The Indian Ocean islands are home to the key UK-US Diego Garcia airbase, which is out of range of Iran’s missiles and has a long enough runway for heavy bombers.

This gives it strategic importance as the US prepares for a military strike if Iran refuses to abandon its nuclear programme.

Dame Priti’s visit comes four days after the US president denounced the deal, which he said would be a “blight on our great ally”, warning: “Do not give away Diego Garcia!”

Mr Trump had previously supported the plan, and his denunciation on Wednesday reportedly came in response to the UK withholding permission for the US to use Diego Garcia or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for an attack on Iran.

Dame Priti told the Sunday Express the Chagos deal is a “serious threat” to the national security of both the UK and the US.

Opponents of the deal fear that China will be able to further extend its influence in the region if the UK cedes sovereignty.