Chagos Islands deal passes in Commons - with formal 'surrender' now expected in just months

The Chagos Islands "surrender" deal cleared its final Commons hurdle on Monday night, paving the way for the territory to be formally handed to Mauritius by the end of this year.

MPs voted through the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill on its third reading by a 320-171 margin shortly before 11pm - following a testy debate in the chamber.

Reform UK's Danny Kruger had raised fears of a "secret deal with China" lying behind the handover deal as he warned just how "baffling" the decision to give the islands away would be.

Nigel Farage had separately warned that China was moving to buy one of the islands.

In response to Mr Kruger, Foreign Office Minister Stephen Doughty crowed in response: "Why then does the United States, our Five Eyes partners, or other key allies, support this deal?

"It protects our national security, it secures the base on Diego Garcia. Why would they support it? It's no secret deal. It's absolute nonsense."

The deal, if it passes the Lords, will see the British Indian Ocean Territory formally ceded to Mauritius.

Britain will then pay to rent back Diego Garcia, the archipelago's largest island and home to a joint UK-US military base.

The 99-year deal to lease the UK-US Diego Garcia base is set to cost British taxpayers up to £30billion - more than double Mauritius's annual GDP.

Though analysis by the Taxpayers' Alliance suggested the cost could be even higher, at £47billion.

The Tories had tabled amendments to the Bill which would have blocked payments for Diego Garcia unless they were approved by Parliament, and forced the Government to consult exiled indigenous Chagossians further on the handover..

While Mr Farage said China was "negotiating a lease on Peros Banhos, the island close to Diego Garcia".

READ MORE ON THE CHAGOS 'SURRENDER':

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• Labour forced to admit Chagos 'surrender' costs TEN TIMES what Keir Starmer claimed
• Nigel Farage vows Reform UK will not honour Chagos 'surrender' in fiery Commons swipe
  

The Reform chief specifically named UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell as the architect of the deal - and accused him of "selling us out to China".

And he threatened that, as Prime Minister, his Government would not honour the treaty.

"I would put it that this deal is un-British, he said. "It's against our national interest. There is no upside, there is no gain."

Across the Atlantic, allies of Donald Trump had also raised the alarm over the Chinese threat.

Diego Garcia is a submarine refuelling and resupply station, as well as a hub for satellite communications in the region, making the island a significant strategic base for the Royal Navy.

Mauritius enjoys a close relationship with Beijing, prompting critics to warn that China will try to undermine the base by spying on its operations.

However, the deal includes so-called "security guarantees" which would prevent any foreign military installations on outlying islands near Diego Garcia without the consent of the British Government.

And immediately following the deal's announcement in May, China's ambassador to Mauritius, Huang Shifang, said Beijing "fully supports" Mauritius in its "quest to safeguard national sovereignty".