The UK Government has unexpectedly withdrawn its committal motion on the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill, halting a planned House of Lords vote on Tuesday night and placing the legislation in procedural limbo.
The move came hours after Chagossian community members and supporters mounted an intensive lobbying effort urging peers to back a proposed amendment from Conservative peer Lord Callanan.
The amendment sought to require the Government to conduct a 30-day consultation with the Chagossian people before the Bill could proceed to committee stage.
Campaigners Claim Victory—For Now
According to members of the Great British PAC, which has been coordinating a campaign on behalf of Chagossian claimants, the sudden withdrawal marks a “significant win,” reflecting, in their view, Government concerns about the strength of support for a formal consultation requirement.
Campaigners including Misley Mandarin, Christopher Howarth, Dan Boucher, Robert Midgley, and Caroline Smith worked through the night contacting peers ahead of the expected vote.
This morning, peers were informed that the Government had pulled its committal motion entirely. Without a committal motion, Lord Callanan’s amendment could not be moved. The Bill will still receive its Second Reading, but the House will not agree to commit it to committee, effectively leaving the legislation in abeyance unless and until Ministers bring forward a new motion.
A Conservative peer involved in discussions told campaigners the Great BRITISH PAC they could “claim success” for the immediate outcome.
The Callanan Amendment
Lord Callanan’s proposed amendment would have required the Government to delay the committee stage until it had:
- Undertaken a public consultation of at least 30 days with the Chagossian people regarding the UK-Mauritius Agreement on the future of the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia; and Published a report summarising the Chagossian responses and concerns about impacts on rights, property, culture, and wellbeing.
The Chagossian community, displaced from their islands between 1968 and 1973 to enable the construction of the joint UK-US military base, has long sought meaningful involvement in decisions affecting the archipelago’s future.
Personal Appeals From Chagossian Claimants
On Monday, peers received a letter from Chagossian claimant Misley Mandarin, a British citizen and Armed Forces veteran, urging them to support the amendment. In the letter, Mandarin described the historic displacement of Chagossians, the generational impacts of exile, and the community’s desire for consultation and self-determination.
Mandarin argued that decisions regarding the archipelago, currently the subject of negotiations between the UK and Mauritius, were being made “without us,” and that consultation represented “the bare minimum of justice.”
The letter also referenced the Government-commissioned KPMG feasibility study, which found that certain resettlement models could be viable.
Judicial Review Still Pending
The Great British PAC is simultaneously championing a legal challenge being led by Barrister James Tumbridge seeking a judicial review of the Government’s decision-making over the proposed treaty arrangements and alleged failure to consult Chagossians. A hearing was held in the High Court last week. A judge is expected to decide later this week whether the case may proceed to a full judicial review.
Campaigners warn that if the judicial review does not proceed, Ministers could reintroduce a committal motion and resist amendments requiring consultation.
Government Position
The Government has not publicly commented on the reasoning behind its withdrawal of the motion. Ministers have previously stated that discussions with Mauritius are ongoing and that the Bill is necessary to support the UK’s international commitments.
Next Steps
For now, the Bill remains stalled at its Second Reading. Peers cannot table amendments or begin line-by-line scrutiny without a new committal motion from the Government.
Campaigners say they will continue to press for a formal consultation process and for Chagossian voices to be heard in decisions about the islands’ future.
“Today shows the Government is feeling the pressure,” one organiser said. “But the fight is far from over. The Chagossians must have a say.”
By Claire Bullivant, Great British PAC CEO
