UK-Mauritius Chagos Islands Deal Faces Growing Uncertainty

New demands from Mauritius and opposition from the incoming US administration challenge Keir Starmer's proposed agreement.

Mauritius' newly elected government has rejected the original Chagos Islands deal, demanding £800 million annually and billions in reparations, far exceeding the UK's £90 million annual offer.
The UK has proposed frontloading payments, offering hundreds of millions upfront, to salvage the agreement before Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.
Critics, including former Navy chief Admiral Lord West, warn that ceding sovereignty could jeopardize national security due to Mauritius' ties with China.
Donald Trump's team, including his likely Secretary of State Marco Rubio, opposes the deal, citing risks to the strategic US-UK airbase on Diego Garcia in countering Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has not ruled out the UK retaining the islands, emphasizing ongoing negotiations and the need for both sides to reach an agreement.