More than 40 of Britain's most senior political and security figures have put their names to a direct appeal to President Donald J. Trump, asking him to step in and halt the Labour Government's plan to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The signatories — a cross-party coalition of MPs, peers, former ministers and national security leaders — warn that the transfer would do grave damage to both American and British security.
Their central concern is the strategic U.S. base at Diego Garcia, which they describe as a cornerstone of American nuclear and naval power projection across the Indian Ocean. Surrendering the archipelago, they argue, would put that base in jeopardy.
The letter sets out the coalition's case against the deal:
- Placing the Chagos Archipelago under Mauritian sovereignty would bring Diego Garcia within the jurisdiction of a state bound by the Pelindaba Treaty, Africa's nuclear-weapon-free zone agreement.
- That would generate dangerous legal ambiguity over U.S. nuclear-capable operations, handing China, Russia and international bodies an opening to challenge American deployments.
- Subject to sustained foreign influence, Mauritius could be pushed into inspections, legal disputes or restrictions that would weaken U.S. deterrence and the wider security of the West.
- Diego Garcia has never been administered by Mauritius, and the signatories regard its transfer as a deliberate act of strategic self-harm by the UK government.
Addressing the President directly, the coalition writes:
“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.”
Who signed the letter
Among the high-profile names attached to the appeal were:
- 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
- Together with dozens more MPs, peers, military veterans, legal experts and national security professionals.
Claire Bullivant, CEO of the Great British PAC and the 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.”
A rushed timetable
The Labour Government has set the second reading of its Chagos transfer bill for today, 9th September 2025, even though a judicial review is not due until November. Security leaders on both sides of the Atlantic believe the compressed schedule is intended to force the deal through before opposition can build.
With the legislation moving quickly, the coalition is now pressing President Trump to use his influence to see the deal blocked.