Chagos Islands First Minister Criticises Labour on Diego Garcia Bill

On 12 January 2026, the First Minister of the Chagos Islands publicly accused the UK Labour Party of being "increasingly dysfunctional" and of "losing its moral bearings" over the pending Diego Garcia Bill. The bill, which would allow the United Kingdom to maintain a military base on the Diego Garcia atoll in the Indian Ocean, conflicts with a 2025 treaty that Labour signed with Mauritius to restore sovereignty to the Chagos Archipelago. The Minister urged the House of Lords to reject the measure, arguing that the bill undermines international law and the rights of displaced Chagossians. The dispute underscores the clash between Britain’s strategic interests in the region and the political rehabilitation of the Chagos people.