MPs sign off on 'surrender' of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius (along with £30bn) despite fears of 'secret deal with China'
By David Wilcock, Deputy Political Editor
Mail Online – 21 October 2025
Labour pushed through the 'surrender' of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius last night despite concerns of a 'secret deal' between the country and China. Sir Keir Starmer used his massive majority to pass the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill by 149 votes in the Commons. It follows a treaty signed by the UK Government in May to cede the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) to Mauritius. Sir Keir has claimed the 'net cost' of the agreement to British taxpayers will be £3.4billion, after adjusting for factors including inflation. But critics have said the true cost of retaining control over the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia for at least 99 years is closer to £30billion.
In a debate last night shadow Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton suggested Mauritius was having discussions 'in secret' with China and Russia, and Reform UK MP Danny Kruger also raised concerns over a 'secret deal with China'. Ms Morton said:
"Promises given by ministers that nothing can happen in the Chagos Archipelago that threatens our interests are already being undermined. Mauritius is already in discussions with India about a role they can play in security in the archipelago, and yet the UK is not even in the room.
If these discussions are taking place without the UK with a friendly country, one can only wonder what discussions are taking place in secret with China and Russia. There has been a report that China is already negotiating with Mauritius for Peros Banhos (an island in the Chagos archipelago)."
Mr Kruger, East Wiltshire MP, said:
"We've heard how baffling this decision to surrender the Chagos Islands is, and the only rational decision that can account for it is some kind of secret deal with China. I don't know if that's the case."
However, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said this was 'absolute nonsense', telling the Commons foreign forces would be prohibited from building bases in the archipelago. Mr Doughty said:
"I want to say on that point, that this is absolute nonsense, and is she willing to provide any evidence that this is going to take place? 'This treaty protects the security of the outer islands and expressly prohibits foreign forces building bases on them, something that her government did not succeed in their negotiations."
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Former chairman of the defence and intelligence committees Sir Julian Lewis said the deal only made sense if the Government had decided to have a
"strategic economic partnership with Communist China".
The Conservative MP for New Forest East said:
"The closing of the case with the China spies makes sense.
The willingness to have China have the biggest embassy of any country in Europe makes sense.
The Bill will face further scrutiny in the House of Lords at a later date.