Revealed: Tory plan to help Donald Trump block Chagos Islands handover

7 comments

1. **From The Telegraph:**

   Tory peers are planning to delay the handover of the [Chagos Islands](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/chagos-islands/) to Mauritius to allow [Donald Trump](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/11/15/chagos-handover-messy-trump-power-ed-balls/) to block the controversial deal.

   [Sir Keir Starmer](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/11/11/donald-trump-chagos-keir-starmer-biot-vanessa-calou/)’s government has agreed a draft treaty that would hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands after years of demands for them to be “returned”.

   Opponents of the plan, including allies of the [president-elect](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/11/06/chagos-labour-deal-in-doubt-after-trump-victory/), say giving up the British overseas territory [could give China greater influence in the region](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/13/labours-chagos-handover-fisherman-plunder-shark-china/), threatening the security of a US airbase.

   [The deal](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/29/keir-starmer-javier-milei-chagos-falklands/) between the UK and Mauritius was supported by [Joe Biden’s administration](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/10/07/joe-biden-pushed-uk-surrender-chagos-islands/), but [Mr Trump’s team](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/11/07/trump-supported-britains-bid-to-keep-hold-of-chagos-islands/) has since started [looking for ways to scrap it](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2024/11/12/trumps-national-security-adviser-mike-waltz-chagos-islands/).

   The Telegraph can reveal that a group of Lords, led by the former Foreign Office minister Lord Bellingham, is planning to help Mr Trump by forcing the Government to hold a referendum of [Chagossians ](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/12/labour-could-abandon-any-overseas-uk-territory-warn-chagos/)in the UK on the deal before it can take effect.

   Between 1967 and 1973, the British Government forcibly moved more than 1,500 [Chagossians ](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/05/britain-take-migrants-from-chagos-islands-st-helena/)from the islands to the UK to allow for the construction of the Diego Garcia air base.

   Under the [draft treaty](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/11/08/tony-blair-chief-staff-negotiated-chagos-security-adviser/) announced last month, their families would be given a limited right to move back to the islands, but hundreds have complained they were not given a say in the discussions.

   Lord Bellingham and other peers are planning to introduce an amendment to [the treaty](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/04/boris-johnson-keir-starmer-chagos-islands-decision-nonsense/) when it reaches the House of Lords, which would require the UK to hold a public vote.

   A referendum would involve the “impossible” task of tracking down about 3,500 Chagossians in the UK, and could delay the ratification process until after Mr Trump takes office on Jan 20, giving him time to lobby [Sir Keir](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/10/18/keir-starmer-rwanda-style-deal-deport-migrants-chagos/) to scrap the handover.

2. Non government individuals working with a foreign country to disrupt government plans? There’s a word for that… what was it…

3. Is this not a plan that was drafted by the Tories and which Labour are implementing partly due to pressure from Biden?

4. What nonsense scheme is this??? I doubt the bill is even introduced by January…l and even if it is it likely will start in the commons meaning it will take time to get there. No way this passes before trump gets in even without this scheme

5. This is a good thing. Can’t believe we were giving the islands away

6. Time for the Lords to either be scrapped or neutered!

7. This is crazy considering nearly all of the meetings and work done for the handover was under a Tory government.

   These people didn’t say a word then. First I even knew about it was once the deal had been finalised and signed off by starmer.

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