PM’s spokesperson insists government’s position is unchanged and that the US still supports the deal
The UK will press ahead with plans to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius despite Donald Trump calling it an “act of great stupidity” and suggesting it was among the reasons he wants to take over Greenland.
The US president said ceding sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes the Diego Garcia military base, was a sign of “total weakness” by the UK.
The unexpected move caught the UK government off guard after Trump warmly endorsed the handover when Keir Starmer visited the White House last year and the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, signed it off.
Downing Street insisted on Tuesday that the US still supported the agreement, which is intended to provide a firm legal basis for the operation of the strategically important facility, despite Trump’s remarks.
