The agreement to give away islands after 200 years of British rule was one of Sir Keir Starmer’s first major foreign policy decisions

Sir Keir Starmer's deal with the Mauritian government for the Chagos Islands may be about to hit the buffers after the country's Deputy Prime Minister suggested that the UK may need to pay more to lease the territory.

The new government of Mauritius said on Tuesday it wanted to renegotiate a deal with Britain on the future of a U.S.-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, in a setback for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The UK doesn’t plan to hand more money to Mauritius in a deal covering the future of the Chagos Islands, including a key military base, despite the new government there’s push for improved terms.

Tories demand answers on ‘basic facts’ about ‘crumbling’ Chagos Islands deal as Mauritius PM Dr Navin Ramgoolam has pulls the plug on agreement demanding talks are reopened

The new Mauritius government wants better terms over the control of a strategically important UK-US military base in the Indian Ocean, a move that threatens to upend one of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s early diplomatic achievements.

They are quibbling on a small amount,’ says Paul Berenger as negotiations with UK over handover of Indian Ocean islands delayed