China hails Keir Starmer’s surrender of the Chagos Islands to leave PM facing furious demands to apologise for ‘peddling lies’ over his deal

Sir Keir Starmer is facing furious demands to apologise for ‘peddling lies’ over his Chagos Islands deal – after China hailed the PM’s surrender of the territory.

After he signed the agreement to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius last week, Sir Keir claimed that Russia, China, Iran were opposed to the deal.

By comparison, the PM said the UK’s allies – such as the US – were in favour of the agreement as, he argued, it boosted Britain’s national security.

The Tories and Reform UK, who are both opposed to the deal, reacted with fury to Sir Keir’s claims as the PM bracketed them together with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran.

He is now facing calls to retract his remarks after China was revealed to have offered its ‘massive congratulations’ to Mauritius for securing the sovereignty agreement.

According to the Guido Fawkes blog, Mauritius newspaper Le Mauricien reported on comments by the Chinese ambassador to the African country.

Huang Shifang is said to have offered ‘massive congratulations’ to Mauritian ministers, adding that China ‘fully supports’ Mauritius in its ‘quest to safeguard national sovereignty’.

After the Chinese diplomat’s words were revealed, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and her senior shadow ministers tore into the PM.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing furious demands to apologise for ‘peddling lies’ over his Chagos Islands deal – after China hailed the PM’s surrender of the territory

After he signed the agreement to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius last week, Sir Keir claimed that Russia, China, Iran were opposed to the deal

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, penned a letter to the PM to demand a formal apology over his ‘deeply offensive and ill-judged claim’

‘Keir Starmer claimed those who opposed his £30billion taxpayer-funded Chagos surrender were siding with hostile states,’ Mrs Badenoch posted on X/Twitter.

‘But China has now welcomed his deal. He should retract his comments and apologise.’

Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said: ‘Once again, Keir Starmer has been caught peddling a lie.

‘He claimed that those who opposed his mad plan to surrender the Chagos Islands were in league with hostile powers – whilst himself handing over control of our own sovereign territory to a nation firmly in China’s grasp.

‘And now China itself has welcomed the deal, knowing that Labour weakening our national security is at their benefit.

‘Keir Starmer must apologise, and retract his baseless slander.’

James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, penned a letter to the PM to demand a formal apology over his ‘deeply offensive and ill-judged claim’.

‘Your suggestion that His Majesty’s Opposition is somehow siding with China has now been proven to be factually inaccurate as they support your deal,’ he wrote.

‘But when we have supported you so strongly on Ukraine, and backed your military action against Iranian-backed Houthis, to be accused effectively of siding with China, Russia and Iran is totally unacceptable.’

Under the terms of Sir Keir’s deal, Britain is paying Mauritius to lease back the joint UK-UK military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Indian Ocean islands, for 99 years.

In a press conference last week, the PM said the total cost of the agreement would be just £3.4billion.

But official documents showed the UK will actually pay Mauritius £165million a year for the first three years to lease Diego Garcia.

It falls to £120million a year for the following decade and then £120million adjusted for inflation for the rest of the 99-year lease.

The documents showed Britain will also pay £45million a year for 25 years – more than £1.1 billion in total – into a fund for ‘projects that promote the ongoing economic development and welfare of Mauritius and its people’.

There is also a one-off fund of £40million to help Chagossians displaced by the creation of the Diego Garcia base in the 1970s.

Some reports suggested the true cost of the handover will be closer to £30billion in cash terms, assuming an average of 2 per cent inflation.

That figure is around three times the annual GDP of Mauritius.

In the same press conference, Sir Keir said of his deal: ‘In favour are all of our allies, the US, Nato, Five Eyes, India.

‘Against it, Russia, China, Iran and, surprisingly, the Leader of the Opposition and Nigel Farage are in that column alongside Russia, China and Iran, rather than the column that has the UK and its allies in it.’

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