'Total abject surrender of our territory and fundamental betrayal of national interest'

SIR Keir Starmer’s new treaty handing over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was condemned yesterday as a “cowardly surrender” and a “fundamental betrayal” of Britain.

- Christian Calgie Senior

The Prime Minister signed the deal with Mauritius yesterday afternoon after months of controversial negotiations and a last-minute delay by the courts.

It will see the UK hand over the overseas territory to Mauritius which will then lease back the UK-US military base at Diego Garcia for 99 years.

But the PM insisted he had to do the deal due to international law and claimed the UK would have faced immediate threats to the base’s operations without it.

He claimed the agreement will cost £3.4billion, with an average spend of £101million each year, insisting this is “very good value for money” given the base’s geography and capability.

However, this figure was torn apart by critics, who argued the cost will be closer to £30billion in real terms over its lifetime. The UK will also fork out hundreds of millions for a development fund in Mauritius and a Chagossian trust fund. Reform deputy leader Richard Tice tore up a copy of the Chagos Islands deal in front of protesters outside the High Court in Central London.