Donald Trump is opposed to Chagos Islands handover, Farage suggests

Nigel Farage has suggested the US president-elect and his friend, Donald Trump, is opposed to the UK government’s decision to handover sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Granted an urgent question on the subject, the Reform UK leader claimed there is “outright hostility” to the deal among Trump’s incoming administration.

He told the House: “There is, I can assure you, having been in America last week — knowing also the incoming defence secretary [Pete Hegseth] very well — there is outright hostility to this deal.”

Farage added: “There is no basis for this agreement to continue where it is, and if you do, you’ll be at conflict with a country without which we would be defenceless.”

The minister, Stephen Doughty, responded: “I’m afraid, obviously, I fundamentally disagree with what the honourable gentleman has had to say.

“Let me be absolutely clear. This government inherited a situation where the long-term, secure operation of this crucial military base [Diego Garcia] … was under threat.”

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