Chagos Islands deal could dangerously fracture UK and US relationship – Farage
Nigel Farage urged the Government to give Donald Trump’s administration ‘a few weeks’ to think about the Chagos Islands before giving up sovereignty.
The Chagos Islands deal could “dangerously” fracture the UK’s relationship with the US, Nigel Farage said, as he warned it could prevent future free trade agreements with America.
The Reform UK leader suggested that giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands would “considerably reduce” the UK’s value in its special relationship with the US.
This comes as the prime minister of Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam said Sir Keir Starmer remains “confident” that a deal can be reached on the Chagos Islands in the coming weeks.
On Tuesday, Mr Farage urged the Government to give Donald Trump’s administration “a few weeks” before pursuing the deal.
The prospect of a deal has caused controversy in the UK, with the Conservatives claiming it would undermine national security because of the presence of a joint UK-US military base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia.
The UK had reached an agreement on returning sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius with the previous Mauritian government last year, but Mr Ramgoolam insisted on renegotiating the deal when he came to power in November.
In a Westminster Hall debate, the Clacton MP said: “During his last term as president, Trump said to me personally, he really wanted to a free trade deal with the United Kingdom.
“Now I know he’s very keen on tariffs, and tariffs are being put on all over the world, and no doubt the EU is going to feel some of it, but with us he was very happy to have a free trade deal, ’cause he felt it wouldn’t be unfair, because we’re roughly operating on similar levels and similar costs.”
He added: “I think Diego Garcia is probably the single most important thing right now that we give America, without it they have not got access to the Middle East, to India and much else. It is the single most important island in the world for America, well, after Hawaii obviously.
“But it really matters to them and the news we’ve had in the last hour that the Government is to push ahead with the surrender of the sovereignty of the Chagos islands, at a now a reported cost of £19 billion – I’m sure that can’t be true.
“But I would just warn the Government on this, you may not be getting huge pushback from America at this moment in time, that’s because they have a list as long as your arm of other priorities, but once they realise we haven’t even got this to give them anymore, then our value to America in that two-way relationship becomes considerably reduced.
“I genuinely fear that if this continues and the American administration wakes up to this – and I have, you know, I could quote three members of the cabinet who I’ve spoken to personally about this – I think our chances, not just of avoiding tariffs but of moving on to a sectoral free trade deal will all but evaporate.
“The special relationship will be dangerously fractured if the Government carries on with this, and I urge them, please, please, please, do give the American administration a few weeks to think about this while they settle into office.”
Mr Farage continued: “We don’t have to actually say America not Europe, or Europe not America, the really important thing is we understand where the growth is, we understand where the investment will come from.
“And whatever new terms we seek with Brussels – and if it’s just a good relationship that’s fine – we must not tie ourselves to an EU (European Union) rule book that prohibits free trade with the US.
“Economically, they are the future and the EU is the past.”
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said: “The Government, and I will repeat what I’ve said in the House before, inherited a situation where the long-term future of the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which is so vital to UK and US security was under threat.
“And finalising a deal means we can secure that base, (with) strong protections, including from malign influence that will allow the base to operate unchanged well into the next century.
“And in close collaboration with the US – and it’s right that we give them the time to consider that deal – we will only agree to a deal that is in the UK’s best interest, those of our allies, and protects our national security.”
Elsewhere in the debate on the UK-US bilateral relationship, Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed described the relationship as “toxic, abusive and destructive”.
The MP for Dewsbury and Batley added: “A special relationship is important and essential, however, our country’s best interest is not served by blind subservience in the face of US power.”
