Stuart Anderson MP has blasted a £30 billion plan to surrender sovereignty of the Chagos Islands.
Stuart has raised his concerns about this 'surrender deal', which pays £30 billion to Mauritius over 99 years for use of a military base on British sovereign territory.
After raising his concerns in Parliament, Stuart has said that the ‘surrender deal’ could threaten national security, as Britain will be required to inform Mauritius of strikes launched from the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
One of the ‘defence and security requirements’ in the Agreement obliges the UK to inform Mauritius of any future air strikes “on a third party” that are launched from it. On Page 14 of the Agreement, it is written:
“The United Kingdom agrees to expeditiously inform Mauritius of any armed attack on a third State directly emanating from the Base on Diego Garcia.”
Stuart raised these concerns after the United States elected not to use the Diego Garcia base for their recent operations in Iran. It is unclear whether this arrangement with Mauritius, or whether the Government's legal advice, contributed to the decision from the US not to use the base.
In Parliament, Stuart said:
“Will the Minister confirm, under the current circumstances, if the US want to launch an attack on Iran from Diego Garcia, would the UK support it?”
The deal was signed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on 22nd May 2025. This ends 200 years of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes Diego Garcia - the largest island and home to a joint UK-US military base. Stuart has added that the deal, which cedes sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, is a “diplomatic failure” and means that hardworking British taxpayers will be lumped with a 99-year ‘Surrender Tax’ at a cost of £30 billion.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
“Labour’s Chagos Surrender Agreement is an epic diplomatic failure that lands British taxpayer’s with a 99-year ‘Surrender Tax’ at an eye-watering cost of £30 billion. At a time when our own citizens have been hit with a £25 billion hike in employer’s national insurance contributions, the Mauritian Government is reportedly planning to use millions of pounds from this deal to pay off its national debt and scrap income tax for most of its own citizens. This disastrous deal, which has been welcomed by the likes of China, also poses a significant threat to national security - as Britain will be required to inform the Mauritian Government of any future strikes that are launched from the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. It is crystal clear that Britain loses when Labour negotiates.”
