A last-minute court injunction has paused a controversial UK-Mauritius deal over the Chagos Islands — and may have inadvertently spared British taxpayers from footing a bill that could run into the tens of billions.
While Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is tight-lipped about the cost of the agreement, estimates suggest £9 billion or more could be committed – initially – just to retain military access.
Some figures — like Nigel Farage’s £52 billion estimate — may be politically charged, but they reflect broader public unease at spending eye-watering sums overseas when many at home face poverty, cuts, and neglect.
And the timing couldn’t be more politically toxic.
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Austerity at home, military ambitions abroad
The injunction — brought by Chagossian women Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe — has done more than delay diplomacy.
It has drawn uncomfortable attention to the costs of UK foreign policy at a time when the government is reportedly considering cuts to disability benefits, despite already harsh welfare policies.
Labour is under pressure.
Public services remain underfunded.
Inflation has hammered working-class households.
But in the name of “defence interests”, the government appears willing to invest billions in a deal that does nothing to guarantee justice for Chagossians, many of whom have lived in exile for decades — and some of whom now live in poverty in UK towns like Crawley.
Meanwhile, disabled people face renewed threats to their basic entitlements, with recent leaks indicating that ministers are exploring restrictions on long-term sickness benefits.
As one disabled activist put it: “They’ve got £9 billion to preserve a military airstrip 6,000 miles away, but apparently not enough to stop cutting my personal independence payment.”
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A legacy of colonialism, ignored again
The Chagos Archipelago was forcibly detached from Mauritius in 1965, in a move later ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice.
Thousands of Chagossians were removed to make way for the Diego Garcia military base, a joint UK-US operation that became a Cold War strategic hub — and later a reported black site for CIA renditions.
That legacy continues.
The proposed deal between the UK and Mauritius does not include a right of return for the Chagossians to Diego Garcia, and no formal consultation with Chagossian communities was undertaken.
This alone may have breached legal duties under international human rights conventions.
“It’s colonialism 2.0,” said one campaigner. “We’re just the bargaining chips in a backroom deal between two governments. No one’s listening to the actual people who lived there.”
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Is Labour repeating old mistakes?
Starmer’s Labour government appears caught in a contradiction: while trying to reassert Britain’s international standing and maintain key alliances (particularly with the US), it risks replicating the same patterns of imperial arrogance and democratic deficit it once condemned in the Conservatives.
Labour ministers have framed the deal as a strategic necessity — suggesting that uncertainty around sovereignty could threaten the long-term viability of the military base.
Yet this framing avoids the elephant in the room: why should ordinary British citizens fund a multi-billion-pound handover that neither repatriates the islanders nor supports UK domestic needs?
In fact, the deal’s only clear winners appear to be the British and American defence establishments — and, perhaps, Mauritian elites with little interest in resettling Diego Garcia.
Thanks to incredible supporters, we hit our £50-this-month donation goal with half the month still to go. That means another month of research, reporting, and political truth-telling — made possible by you.
But why stop there? Every extra pound helps power more investigations, more videos, and more impact.
If you haven’t donated yet — or want to chip in again — help us build momentum for the next big target: £75.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
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A missed opportunity for justice
The High Court injunction — granted in the early hours by Mr Justice Goose — now gives the UK government a rare second chance to rethink its approach.
Will it include the Chagossian diaspora in a meaningful way?
Will it publish the full financial commitments?
Will it prioritise human rights and transparency over geopolitics?
Or will it, as many fear, simply attempt to push the deal through quietly once the legal noise dies down?
What’s clear is this: the Chagos Islands story isn’t just about sovereignty.
It’s about how governments treat the voiceless, how much value is placed on foreign power over domestic justice, and how easily the rhetoric of “security” can be used to mask indefensible priorities.
As public outrage grows over welfare cuts, stagnant wages, and crumbling public services, the question becomes harder to ignore:
Why is there always money for war — but never enough for those in need?
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Billions for bases – pennies for people? What the Chagos Islands deal reveals about the government
A last-minute court injunction has paused a controversial UK-Mauritius deal over the Chagos Islands — and may have inadvertently spared British taxpayers from footing a bill that could run into the tens of billions.
While Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government is tight-lipped about the cost of the agreement, estimates suggest £9 billion or more could be committed – initially – just to retain military access.
Some figures — like Nigel Farage’s £52 billion estimate — may be politically charged, but they reflect broader public unease at spending eye-watering sums overseas when many at home face poverty, cuts, and neglect.
And the timing couldn’t be more politically toxic.
Thanks to incredible supporters, we hit our £50-this-month donation goal with half the month still to go. That means another month of research, reporting, and political truth-telling — made possible by you.
But why stop there? Every extra pound helps power more investigations, more videos, and more impact.
If you haven’t donated yet — or want to chip in again — help us build momentum for the next big target: £75.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
👉 Support us here: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Austerity at home, military ambitions abroad
The injunction — brought by Chagossian women Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe — has done more than delay diplomacy.
It has drawn uncomfortable attention to the costs of UK foreign policy at a time when the government is reportedly considering cuts to disability benefits, despite already harsh welfare policies.
Labour is under pressure.
Public services remain underfunded.
Inflation has hammered working-class households.
But in the name of “defence interests”, the government appears willing to invest billions in a deal that does nothing to guarantee justice for Chagossians, many of whom have lived in exile for decades — and some of whom now live in poverty in UK towns like Crawley.
Meanwhile, disabled people face renewed threats to their basic entitlements, with recent leaks indicating that ministers are exploring restrictions on long-term sickness benefits.
As one disabled activist put it: “They’ve got £9 billion to preserve a military airstrip 6,000 miles away, but apparently not enough to stop cutting my personal independence payment.”
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
A legacy of colonialism, ignored again
The Chagos Archipelago was forcibly detached from Mauritius in 1965, in a move later ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice.
Thousands of Chagossians were removed to make way for the Diego Garcia military base, a joint UK-US operation that became a Cold War strategic hub — and later a reported black site for CIA renditions.
That legacy continues.
The proposed deal between the UK and Mauritius does not include a right of return for the Chagossians to Diego Garcia, and no formal consultation with Chagossian communities was undertaken.
This alone may have breached legal duties under international human rights conventions.
“It’s colonialism 2.0,” said one campaigner. “We’re just the bargaining chips in a backroom deal between two governments. No one’s listening to the actual people who lived there.”
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Is Labour repeating old mistakes?
Starmer’s Labour government appears caught in a contradiction: while trying to reassert Britain’s international standing and maintain key alliances (particularly with the US), it risks replicating the same patterns of imperial arrogance and democratic deficit it once condemned in the Conservatives.
Labour ministers have framed the deal as a strategic necessity — suggesting that uncertainty around sovereignty could threaten the long-term viability of the military base.
Yet this framing avoids the elephant in the room: why should ordinary British citizens fund a multi-billion-pound handover that neither repatriates the islanders nor supports UK domestic needs?
In fact, the deal’s only clear winners appear to be the British and American defence establishments — and, perhaps, Mauritian elites with little interest in resettling Diego Garcia.
Thanks to incredible supporters, we hit our £50-this-month donation goal with half the month still to go. That means another month of research, reporting, and political truth-telling — made possible by you.
But why stop there? Every extra pound helps power more investigations, more videos, and more impact.
If you haven’t donated yet — or want to chip in again — help us build momentum for the next big target: £75.
If you value fearless political journalism that holds the powerful to account, please chip in today. Even £2 helps keep Vox Political running strong.
👉 Support us here: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
A missed opportunity for justice
The High Court injunction — granted in the early hours by Mr Justice Goose — now gives the UK government a rare second chance to rethink its approach.
Will it include the Chagossian diaspora in a meaningful way?
Will it publish the full financial commitments?
Will it prioritise human rights and transparency over geopolitics?
Or will it, as many fear, simply attempt to push the deal through quietly once the legal noise dies down?
What’s clear is this: the Chagos Islands story isn’t just about sovereignty.
It’s about how governments treat the voiceless, how much value is placed on foreign power over domestic justice, and how easily the rhetoric of “security” can be used to mask indefensible priorities.
As public outrage grows over welfare cuts, stagnant wages, and crumbling public services, the question becomes harder to ignore:
Why is there always money for war — but never enough for those in need?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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