‘All territories are in danger’ Keir Starmer warned against offering up more sovereign land amid Chagos deal: ‘Look after the British people!’

Chagossian community leader Vanessa Calou has voiced strong opposition to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans to give away the Chagos Islands, warning that “other territories are in danger”.

Speaking to GB News, Calou, who serves as Chagossian Lead at Friends of the British Overseas Territories, insisted that Chagossians do not want their homeland given to Mauritius, and they “want to stay British”.

The agreement, led by Starmer, gained another seal of approval on Thursday following a meeting with US President Donald Trump, who claimed that America would “go along with” the UK on the deal, but cautioned that he would need to “look at the deal” in detail.

Speaking to host Martin Daubney, Calou stated that the priority is with the “Chagossian community” and their voices “need to be seen and their wishes understood”.

Calou explained: “Their wish is they don’t want to give the country to Mauritius and even President Trump said that he will need to look at the deal. He didn’t say his final word, so we need to understand that we have hope.

“We have hope and that President Trump will do the best as he can to give to us, the UK, to give the self-determination to the Chagossians, because the the people who need to decide is the Chagossian people – they need to decide.”

Calou questioned the financial implications of any potential deal with Mauritius, noting that Britain is facing it’s own financial issues domestically which are affecting the British people even more.

“I don’t understand where the UK Government will look for that money, because at the moment in the UK we are having a lot of issues,” she said.

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Calou added: “There’s the cut to winter fuel, we are facing high taxes and we have rising poverty in society in Britain. It’s like we are denied from the UK Government’s support and the local government support.

“I believe British citizens need to be first in the UK, and that taxpayer money needs to look after the British people, not to give away our island.”

In a stark warning to the Labour Government, Calou stressed that there are “14 other territories” alongside the Chagos Islands which Starmer could attempt to give away next.

Calou said: “We have the voice to say that we want to stay a British overseas territory. If the UK Government, if Keir Starmer is giving away our country and overseas territory, I believe all the 14 overseas territories are in danger.

“Because if they are giving one overseas territory, we have 14 of British overseas territories – they are in danger.”

In a fresh plea to the Labour Government, Calou concluded that Chagossians have “found their voice” and want to maintain their British status.

Calou told GB News: “We want to stay British and we want to keep our British overseas territory and be British citizens.

“They need to look after Chagossians in general, because Chagossians are struggling, as well as British citizens.

“The UK needs to look after and give support to all the British citizens, because they are voicing their rights, and it’s not right for me.”