A cross-party coalition of more than 40 prominent British MPs, peers, former ministers, and national security leaders has written directly to President Donald J. Trump, urging him to intervene and stop the UK Labour Government’s plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The signatories warn that the move would gravely undermine U.S. and UK security interests, particularly by jeopardizing the strategic U.S. base at Diego Garcia, a cornerstone of American nuclear and naval power projection in the Indian Ocean.
In their letter, the group argues that:
- Transferring the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius would place Diego Garcia under the jurisdiction of a state bound by the Pelindaba Treaty, Africa’s nuclear-weapon-free zone agreement.
- This would create dangerous legal ambiguity over U.S. nuclear-capable operations, opening the door for China, Russia, and international bodies to challenge American deployments.
- Mauritius, under sustained foreign influence, could be pressured into inspections, legal disputes, or restrictions that would erode U.S. deterrence and diminish Western security.
- Diego Garcia has never been administered by Mauritius, and its transfer would represent a deliberate act of strategic self-harm by the UK government.
The letter appeals directly to President Trump, stating:
“Mr. President, you have built your reputation on refusing to cede strategic ground to those who would weaken America. We urge you to use your influence, publicly and privately, and your prerogatives under the U.S.–UK defence agreement of 1966 to oppose this surrender and to ensure that Diego Garcia remains exempt from any constraint under the Pelindaba Treaty.”
The letter was signed by high-profile figures including:
- The Rt Hon Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP – Former Conservative Party Leader; UK Co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC)
- The Rt Hon Grant Shapps – Former Defence Secretary
- The Rt Hon Suella Braverman KC MP – Former Home Secretary
- The Rt Hon the Lord Jack KBE PC DL – Secretary of State for Scotland 2019 – 2024
- The Rt Hon David Jones MP – Former Secretary of State for Wales
- The Rt Hon Mark Francois MP – Former Armed Forces Minister
- Along with dozens of additional MPs, peers, military veterans, legal experts, and national security professionals.
Claire Bullivant, CEO of the Great British PAC and organiser of the letter, said:
“If this deal goes through, it will not only weaken Britain but also gravely undermine America’s ability to defend the free world from adversaries. Diego Garcia is too strategically important to be put at risk. President Trump is our hope in stopping this dangerous surrender.”
The Labour Government has scheduled a second reading of its Chagos transfer bill today (9th September 2025), despite a judicial review due in November. British and American security leaders believe the rushed timetable is designed to push the deal through before opposition can mount.
The coalition is now calling on President Trump to use his influence to ensure the deal is blocked.
The Prime Minister has hinted that there are confidential reasons for the handover that he is unable to discuss in public. But given that The Rt Hon Grant Shapps was Defence Secretary when negotiations with Mauritius were already underway, this does not seem credible. The other concern is that the deal could eventually lead to China establishing a base on one of the other Chagos islands, and use it for surveillance of Diego Garcia, or for electronic warfare techniques (jamming) to disable the US comms network.