Furious Conservative MPs have accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of keeping British taxpayers “in the dark” over the cost of a controversial deal to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Richard Holden criticized Starmer’s failure to disclose how much the UK would pay Mauritius for the islands, which are home to a strategically vital UK-US military base.
Under the current government’s plans, the UK will lease the base back from Mauritius for 99 years at a potential cost of up to £90 million per year. However, Downing Street has refused to confirm the exact amount or clarify whether the money will come from the defence budget, further fueling tensions over the deal, as reported by the Express.
