Furious Nigel Farage accuses Keir Starmer of Chagos ‘surrender’ | Politics | News

Nigel Farage says MPs must be allowed to scrutinize the details of Sir Keir Starmer’s deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius – labeling the decision a “surrender”.

However, Stephen Doughty, who has day-to-day responsibility for the issue as Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories, dismissed concerns about the future of Gibraltar and the Falklands.

Mr Farage said in a post on

“I have written to David Lammy asking for an emergency debate and vote in the House of Representatives on Monday.

“This surrender was not in the Labor manifesto.”

In his letter, Mr Farage warned that the “surrender” had led to speculation about the future of the Falklands and Gibraltar, which he described as “detrimental” to the country’s security.

He wrote: “The future of the Chagos Islands was announced when the House of Representatives was not in session, meaning MPs of all parties are in the dark about so many aspects of this decision.”

“This has led to speculation about the future of the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar. None of this is helpful to anyone. Rather, it is damaging to Britain’s security.”

His words echo those of former Interior Minister Suella Braverman, who earlier this week called the announcement “shameful” and branded Foreign Minister Lammy “China’s useful idiot.”

After Argentina promised to gain “full sovereignty” over the Falkland Islands, Mr Doughty stressed that the government was not ready to accept sovereignty of the remote archipelago and rock.

He also wrote on

“The Chagos Islands are a completely different topic with a completely different story.

“The UK remains firmly committed to all of our overseas territories.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday defended Britain’s abandonment of control of the Chagos Islands, saying the agreement with Mauritius over the remote archipelago would achieve the “most important thing” – securing the long-term future of a joint US-British military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands.

Argentina’s Foreign Minister Diana Mondino promised “concrete measures” to ensure that the Falkland Islands, the British-controlled archipelago that Argentina calls the Malvinas and claims as its own, are handed over to Buenos Aires.

She said: “If we follow the path we have already taken, with concrete actions and not empty rhetoric, we will regain full sovereignty over our Malvinas Islands.”

Falkland Islands Governor Alison Blake has already sought to reassure residents that Britain’s commitment to the territory is “unwavering”.

On Friday Sir Keir was asked to guarantee that no other British overseas territories would be deregistered and he said: “The most important thing was to make sure we had a secure base, the common base between the US and the UK; This is extremely important for the USA, extremely important for us.

“We have now ensured that and that is why you saw such warm words from the USA yesterday.”

The agreement announced on Thursday for the continued British-American military presence on Diego Garcia will last for 99 years and Britain will pay an annual sum of money.

Critics claim there is a risk of China gaining a military foothold in the Indian Ocean.

The United Nations’ highest court, the International Court of Justice, had previously ruled that the UK’s administration of the territory was “unlawful” and must end.

Talks between Britain and Mauritius over a deal began under the previous Conservative government in 2022.