For a tiny group of atolls comprising just over 20 square miles of land in the Indian Ocean, the Chagos Islands have a long and contentious history. The first inhabitants were slaves brought over by the French in the 18th century, and the territory was handed over by France to the British as part of Mauritius in 1814.

He said: “It’s happening!” The Chagos Islands decision impacts the Diego Garcia airbase (DoD/AFP/Getty) The row comes as part of an unfurling nightmare across the Atlantic for Sir Keir as the president-elect Trump appoints hardliners such as Marco ...

Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to give up the Chagos Islands is a “sneaky agreement” that Donald Trump must block, the leader of a Chagos citizens’ group has said. Vanessa Calou, the co-head of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Citizens platform,