Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of signing 'one of the worst deals in the history of deals' by surrendering the Chagos islands for as much as £30 billion.
The Prime Minister claimed the controversial giveaway of Britain's territory in the Indian Ocean would cost only £3.4 billion over the next century and was necessary to secure a vital Anglo-American military base there.
But opponents said the true cost was ten times as much and insisted there was no need to cede sovereignty over the islands to Mauritius, an ally of China. Sir Keir also faced fury for making the 'disgusting slur' that opponents of the handover – who include the exiled islanders – were on the same side as Russia, China and Iran.
Details of the long-awaited treaty, published after a dramatic 11th-hour legal challenge, also revealed that it spoke of the need to 'complete the process of decolonisation' and will hand Mauritius more than £1 billion for 'economic development'.
And Labour ministers were challenged to justify making the huge payments at the same time as cutting benefits for Britons.
