Priti Patel

Priti Patel

Conservative — Witham

Speaking in the House of Commons on 20 January 2026

Debate

Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill

Contribution

Let me remind my right hon. Friend exactly what the President of the United States said. He has said that this is being done “for no reason whatsoever”, and that “There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness.” The previous Foreign Secretary, now the Deputy Prime Minister, is on the record as saying: “If President Trump doesn’t like the deal, the deal will not go forward… they’ve got to be happy with the deal or there is no deal”, so why has Labour continued to press this Bill? In the light of the President’s comments, can the Minister tell us what will happen to the status of the 1966 exchange of notes between the UK and the United States, which states clearly that the British Indian Ocean Territory “shall remain under United Kingdom sovereignty”? What is the impact on that agreement? Is it being changed?

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