Revision of the Mauritius sovereignty deal
Prime Minister Andy Burnham intends to "recast" the Chagos Islands agreement following US resistance. The Starmer arrangement would have transferred sovereignty to Mauritius while the UK kept control of the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease. This plan remains in limbo because President Donald Trump expressed opposition to the deal in New York in September, saying, "I don’t support it – I think it’s a terrible deal." Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the deal as it is currently constituted cannot go ahead without American support, meaning the government must find a solution that secures the agreement of the government of Mauritius as well as the UK. Because of this, the British government has suspended payments to Mauritius while London and Washington work on a compromise.
The financial terms of the original treaty included:
| Recipient | Initial Payment (3 years) | Annual Payment (from year 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Mauritius | £165m | £120m |
Burnham said he wants "a new discussion" with Washington to address their concerns, noting that the UK might model a solution on the agreement reached between the US and Denmark regarding Greenland. Trump struck that Greenland agreement after months of threats toward the island, allowing for a US military presence while banning adversaries from building bases. Burnham is looking for a solution that works in relation to the Diego Garcia base by studying the Greenland outcome. This revision is clearly the only path forward to accommodate the US.
International summits and domestic planning
Burnham recently returned from the Commonwealth heads of government summit in Antigua, where he addressed Caribbean demands for slavery reparations by suggesting a government apology. He will host the G20 summit in Manchester next year and confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be barred from attending due to an outstanding sanction. While Putin is excluded, Burnham noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping would be welcome to attend the meeting. He mentioned that President Xi visited Manchester in 2015 and had a warm conversation with him, noting that the President will see a big difference in Manchester 12 years later. The Prime Minister will also prepare for the EU summit in Brussels to consider a long-term relationship with the bloc and whether the UK should rejoin.
Regarding domestic policy, the Prime Minister expects his "10-year plan" to outline how the UK should change over the next decade through increased public control over major parts of the economy. Although he promised the plan for this year, Burnham suggested it may be delayed until December or January. He denied reports that the document will be brief or lack detail, stating, "It will be substantial, and it will also be – well, in my view, it will be compelling because I am weaving the different threads together."
