𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Labour is “determined” to get the Chagos Islands deal over the line, a close ally of Sir Keir Starmer has said. The controversial agreement to hand over the British Indian Ocean Territory to Mauritius while paying billions to lease back the joint US-UK Diego Garcia military base has stalled after Donald Trump withdrew his support.

But Attorney General Lord Hermer insisted he hopes the pact will be completed “in the coming weeks and months”. His comments to MPs on the Justice Committee were seized on by critics of the deal.

Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick said: “Labour’s determination to push through this surrender deal shows exactly where the party’s priorities lie – handing billions to a foreign country while British pensioners, farmers and businesses have paid the price.

“Even in his final days, Lord Hermer is working to subvert our national interest. Soon, he can go back to representing Britain’s enemies openly as a lawyer. Good riddance to him – he won’t be missed.”

The deal was shelved earlier this year after being blasted as an “act of total weakness” by the US president.

But Lord Hermer insisted the Chagos agreement, which has also been criticised by the Tories, is “overwhelmingly in our national interest”.

He said: “The negotiations that we picked up from the last Conservative government, which were very developed negotiations, were started and we continued with them because of our national security analysis as to the importance of the base of Diego Garcia. That is what it was about, that is what it has remained about.

“I very much hope that in the coming weeks and months we’re able to sign the treaty – again because it’s in the national interest of this country to do so, because of our national security concerns and the importance of the base in that part of the world.

“As you know, although the United States started off supporting under President Trump the deal, there has been a change of position. We remain determined to try and get it done.”

The Government has insisted the pact is needed to guarantee the future of the Diego Garcia military base after an advisory International Court of Justice ruling in 2019 backed Mauritian claims to sovereignty over the islands.

However, it is not clear if the Prime Minister’s successor will continue to pursue the deal despite Lord Hermer’s comments.