𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham has agreed with President Donald Trump that his own party’s Chagos deal is “terrible”, when speaking at a press event in New York City.

Meeting on the fringes of the United Nations (U.N) General Assembly in New York City, the Prime Minister and the President were challenged by the media in a question on the Chagos Islands, which Labour has long planned to give away.

Talking on the agreement, which will see the UK pay hundreds of millions to effectively rent back its own airbase in the area, Mr Trump said “I don’t support it” adding “I think it’s ridiculous. No, we were talking about that.”

Mr Trump went on to say “I think the Prime Minister’s going to be looking at it” to which Mr Burnham nodded, and said “Yep.”

The Chagos deal was agreed by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, which see’s the British overseas territory handed over to Mauritius, an ally of China.

At the time the deal caused fury in Washington owing to the presence of an air base on the archipelago used by the United States.

It was thrown back into the spotlight when the US launched bombing raids on Iran, and was forced to refuel its aircraft back in America because London blocked them from using the Chagos Islands.

Mr Trump made a reference to that diplomatic scuffle in today’s press conference. The US president said: “I don’t support it. It was a terrible deal. Somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous.

“We had to send the B2 bombers back home to Missouri, as opposed to flying for a short period of time. It’s amazing how strategic it is, and I think the Prime Minister is going to be looking at it because it has a very, very strategic location.”

The Labour Government has said it intends to sign over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean territory in exchange for retaining control of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia. Talks were paused in April after opposition from the White House.

In his answer to the media Mr Trump said the Islands were “strategically very important” saying it was “amazing how strategic it is”.

Welcoming what he said was the collapse of the deal, Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage wrote the deal was “dead”.

He posted on the social media site X shortly after the meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Burnham, saying: “The Chagos deal is dead. Thank God.”

An earlier exchange saw the Prime Minister branded a “natural businessperson” by Mr Trump, and “understands what he needs to do.”

The pair had agreed they had “established a good connection in our early discussions and we’ve taken that further today” as they met for the first time.

Opening the meeting Mr Trump said: “It’s an honour to be with the Prime Minister here – a great election win. That was a big one, and I think he’s going to be a great Prime Minister. I think he’s got a lot of assets on his side.”

Mr Trump added: “It’s a really special country and we are with you all the way Mr Prime Minister.”

Mr Burnham replied: “Thank you Mr President, that’s wonderful. We really appreciate that. This relationship matters so much to us and we’ll build on that relationship.

“You and I have established a good connection in our early discussions and we’ve taken that further today.”