Overview

• MPs voted 330 to 179 to advance the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill to its next stage.
• The government says the agreement is needed to protect long-term operations at the UK‑US base on Diego Garcia from mounting legal threats.
• Opponents warn of security and legal risks, citing potential Pelindaba Treaty complications and closer ties between Mauritius and Russia, China and Iran.
• The deal carries an average annual cost of about £101 million in today’s prices, while the TaxPayers’ Alliance claims the total could reach up to £47 billion, far above ministers’ estimate.
• Rights concerns persisted as Labour’s Peter Lamb voted against over Chagossian self‑determination, and more than 40 former ministers and others urged President Donald Trump to oppose the agreement.