David Lammy has stated that President Trump has the authority to block the deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, a decision that could impact control of the critical Diego Garcia airbase, shared between the UK and the US. This potential veto adds to the growing controversy as legal documents, including one by shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, have been presented to Trump’s team outlining reasons for why the deal should not proceed.

The dispute is compounded by the fact that the UK had prepared to spend up to £18 billion leasing back the Diego Garcia base for the next 99 years following the island transfer. Both Sir Keir Starmer and Mr. Lammy are reportedly trying to convince Trump that the deal is beneficial and necessary for maintaining the legal status of the base, even though details on further repercussions remain undisclosed.

Further inflaming the situation, Tory figures have criticized the Labour leadership, with Mr. Jenrick accusing Sir Keir Starmer of betrayal over the deal, describing his actions as akin to collaborating with an occupying force. As the matter moves towards a meeting between Trump and the Prime Minister in the Oval Office, US officials are closely scrutinizing not only the deal’s legal merits but also what the UK's future stance will be regarding its relationship with China, particularly in light of recent ambivalent signals from the Labour party.