ISLE DEAL SHELVED
Sir Keir Starmer dealt major blow after Mauritius rips up plan to hand over Chagos Islands
The move piles pressure on Sir Keir, who made sealing the deal one of his first big foreign policy priorities
SIR Keir Starmer has been dealt a major blow after Mauritius tore up his plan to hand over the Chagos Islands.
Newly elected Mauritian leader Navinchandra Ramgoolam declared the agreement “not good enough” and ordered it back to the drawing board.
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He told his Parliament the pact “would not produce the benefits” his country deserved and revealed he had already relayed the snub to Britain’s National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell.
The move piles pressure on Sir Keir, who made sealing the deal one of his first big foreign policy priorities.
Mr Ramgoolam’s decision comes after a legal review recommended renegotiating the rushed agreement struck before Mauritius’s election.
Adding to Sir Keir’s woes, Donald Trump is reportedly ready to torpedo the pact over fears it threatens the US air base on Diego Garcia.
READ MORE ON SIR KEIR STARMER
The base, crucial to American operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, sits on the strategically vital atoll in the Indian Ocean.
But there are growing concerns that Mauritius, a trade ally of China, could let Beijing spy on the base if it takes control.
Downing Street said their position on the deal hasn't changed, with the PM's spokesman saying: "There has obviously been a change of leadership in Mauritius.
"So we've been engaging with the new administration on the details of the deal… We're confident that the agreement is in both sides’ interests."
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