Chagos Islands treaty is now ‘impossible to agree at political level’, UK minister says

Stephen Doughty says US withdrawal of support means bill cannot complete passage through parliament

A treaty over ceding sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has become “impossible to agree at political level” and the corresponding bill will not complete its passage through parliament, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Stephen Doughty told the Commons that the agreement with Mauritius was initially negotiated in close coordination with the US, but Donald Trump’s position “appears to have changed”.