Minister admits Chagos deal now ‘impossible to agree’ after Donald Trump pulls support for 'surrender'

Mr Trump called the deal a "a very woke thing" in March after pulling support for the deal.

He had initially described the treaty as "very strong and powerful" and later conceded the deal was the "best he could make".

Mr Doughty said updating the 1966 UK-US agreement, which concerns the availability of British Indian Ocean territories, was necessary to ratify the treaty.

He confirmed to Parliament there was a "finalised text was agreed at official level" before the shift in position.

But after the President withdrew his backing, he said: "The Diego Garcia Bill cannot complete its passage in this parliamentary session, and it cannot be carried over due to its advanced progression through Parliament.

"The Government nevertheless remain confident that the Diego Garcia treaty is the best means of protecting the full operation of the military base for us and our allies for future generations," he added.

Mr Doughty also addressed concerns for the Chagossians who were removed from the islands.

He said the Government "deeply regret the manner of their removal" and said Mauritius had plans to resettle the Chagossian people.

"The delay to the treaty will be sad news to many Chagossians - although I accept not all - who rightly see it as the only viable means of a sustainable programme of resettlement, which Mauritius would be able to implement under its terms," the Minister said.

Responding to Mr Doughty, Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel said the "surrender treaty is Labour’s mess".

She added: "The Government put one of our most important defence and security assets at risk. They compromised the special relationship with the United States, they ignored and betrayed the wishes of the Chagossian community, and they were prepared to hand over £35billion of taxpayers’ money to lease back a land that we own."

And Reform UK MP Danny Kruger said he welcomed the Government's withdrawal of the bill, and raised two questions about the future of the Chagossians.

He said: "First, will the Government commit that if there is to be any future constitutional change to the status of the islands, the Chagossian community here in the UK will be given the chance to express its view through a referendum of that community?"

He then raised the issue of former Conservative MP and member of Reform UK Adam Holloway, who recently attempted to travel to the Chagos Islands as part of an aid mission and was intercepted by British Border officials.

"Why will the Government not recognise that they have a right of abode there, and why are the Government frustrating the very legitimate efforts of philanthropists to support them to re-establish their community?" Mr Kruger said.

Responding, Mr Doughty said he was "shocked" Reform UK supported what he described as a "reckless political stunt".

Mr Holloway, speaking to GB News, said: "The Government didn't give permission for me to get on the boat here in the Maldives and to go down there on the voyage, which again, is completely bizarre and irresponsible because I'm the person who's lived on the islands with the settler party, so I know them best.

"I'm the best person to assess their welfare and everything else."

Mr Trump's withdrawal of support of the Chagos deal, worsening US-UK relations, came as he lambasted Sir Keir Starmer's response to the Iran war.