Quantity 10 will likely be nursing its whiplash this night as Donald Trump as soon as once more throws a diplomatic hand grenade into the UK’s Chagos cope with Mauritius.
Posting on Fact Social, Donald Trump implored Sir Keir Starmer to scrap the deal, saying: “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!”
In his lengthy publish on-line, the US president claimed the prime minister is “dropping management” of the army base within the Indian Ocean, and that the deal could be “a blight” on the UK.
It got here only a day after the US authorities launched an announcement during which it mentioned it “helps the choice of the UK to proceed with its settlement with Mauritius regarding the Chagos archipelago”.
Quantity 10 and the Overseas Workplace will likely be asking itself what has modified within the house of 24 hours.
UK authorities backs ‘essential’ deal
Pushing again on Trump’s newest change of coronary heart, a Overseas Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “The deal to safe the joint UK-US army base on Diego Garcia army is essential to the safety of the UK and our key allies, and to holding the British individuals protected.
“The settlement we have now reached is the one strategy to assure the long-term way forward for this very important army base.”
So what now?
The federal government clearly didn’t see this newest Trump intervention coming, however leaders are sometimes judged not by the occasions that occur on their watch however how they cope with such occasions.
Curiously, solely final night time Starmer and Trump held a bilateral telephone name – however when Quantity 10 launched a readout of that assembly, there was no point out of the Chagos deal.
Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer at a Chequers information convention in September. Pic: Reuters
‘Utter humiliation’
Opposition events on the suitable are celebrating Trump’s feedback as a win for his or her campaigning.
Shadow international secretary Priti Patel referred to as this “an utter humiliation” for the prime minister, arguing the deal is undermining the UK’s relationship with the US and should be junked.
And the Tory chief Kemi Badenoch mirrored earlier feedback made final month by the US president, calling the deal an “act of stupidity” and self-sabotage.
Reform UK’s chief Nigel Farage claims the deal negotiated by the federal government dangers alienating the US and has additionally referred to as for the deal to be scrapped.
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In the meantime, the Liberal Democrat chief Sir Ed Davey used the fallout as a possibility to proceed his assaults on Trump, insisting the US is now not an ally the UK can depend on, and we should cosy as much as our neighbours in Europe.
Moderately awkwardly the international secretary, Yvette Cooper, is within the US this week and will likely be having conferences with Trump’s prime staff in Washington DC.
Regardless of being blindsided by the persistent flip-flopping of the US administration’s place on the Chagos deal, it might be a fortuitous alternative to plead the UK authorities’s case on to her counterpart Marco Rubio.
The Conservatives and Reform will likely be hoping Trump’s newest intervention might be able to push the prime minister into rethinking this deal, or at the very least trigger him sufficient political problem that the deal is ratified below a darkish cloud.
Starmer might want to convey the US president again from the brink, or we might be seeing U-turn quantity 16 from Labour.
