Andy Burnham and Donald Trump (Image: Daily Express)
Donald Trump savaged Labour’s controversial Chagos Islands agreement as a “terrible deal” in his first ever meeting with Andy Burnham.
The US President branded it “ridiculous” while the Prime Minister appeared to soften his stance, agreeing that he was “going to look at it”.
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It marked a striking change in tone from just hours earlier, when Mr Burnham insisted he was “determined” to find a resolution that would allow the agreement with Mauritius to go ahead despite US opposition.
The thorny issue was the most awkward moment as the two leaders held face-to-face talks in the Big Apple.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, President Trump said: “I don’t support it. I think it’s terrible. It was a terrible deal. They [Mauritius] all of a sudden say they have ownership.
“Somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it’s ridiculous.
“No, we were talking about that, and [the islands are] strategically very important. Very important. You know, we had to send our B2 bombers…back home to Missouri, as opposed to flying for a short period of time.
“It’s amazing how strategic it is, and I think the prime minister is going to be looking at it.”
The Labour leader, who was sitting next to him, agreed and said “yeah”.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said the Chagos deal is now “dead”.
He posted on X shortly after President Trump’s remarks: “The Chagos deal is dead. Thank God.”
En-route to New York, where he was attending the United Nations General Assembly, Mr Burnham doubled down on plans to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The Prime Minister said he will do “everything possible” to find a resolution to the deal.
Britain agreed to cede sovereignty of the Indian Ocean islands after more than two centuries of control when Sir Keir Starmer was in No 10 last year..
Under the plans the UK would retain a 99-year lease over its biggest island, Diego Garcia, and its strategic military base.
But the legislation required to implement the agreement was paused in April because of opposition from America.
Senior Tories have warned that the Chagos “surrender” deal has fanned the flames surrounding Argentinian President Javier Milei trying to claim the Falklands.
The Chagos Islands are home to the strategically important joint US-UK Diego Garcia military base, currently being used to refuel and service fighter jets striking Iran.
The deal would hand the islands to Mauritius while spending £101million annually for 99 years to lease back the military base.
The staggering costs would put the total price tag at £34billion in nominal terms while opponents of the deal have suggested it could cost closer to £50billion.
Chagos aside, Mr Burnham will have been pleased with how the 40-minute showdown went.
The two leaders spoke about Israel, Ukraine, the Middle East crisis, Immigration and the Falklands.
Mr Trump said relations between the US and the UK are “more up” now that Andy Burnham is Prime Minister than when Sir Keir Starmer held the role.
During the meeting, Mr Burnham claimed he had “established a good connection” with Mr Trump, adding that the pair had “taken that further today” as they discussed trade, energy and immigration among other topics.
The Prime Minister also stressed that Britain has a “positive story” to tell about itself, in an attempt to draw a line under 10 years of post-Brexit turbulence, in his UN debut.
Following his meeting with the US President Mr Burnham met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and Australian PM Anthony Albanese.
Later, he addressed world leaders at the United Nations, warning that Russia is targeting Britain with AI to create a “distorted and untrue narrative” about the country.
Announcing a new National Centre for Information Defence, he said: “In recent years we have seen an industrial-scale assault by hostile actors on the information environment in the UK and many of our allies.
“Russian agencies have used every means at their disposal to spread lies and disinformation and prey on people’s fears.
“They’ve used bots and fake websites. Falsified newspaper articles.
“Forged the branding of 28 British organisations – including universities and the BBC. They’ve amplified far right narratives. And we have evidence that they tried to interfere with the 2019 General Election.”
Mr Burnham said that they have also tried to “stoke tensions and unrest in the wake of horrific events”.
“The idea that anyone would try to use such things to their advantage is just repulsive – but it is what they do,” he said..
The Prime Minister said that the Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion each year on manipulating information.
“We’re talking about an insidious campaign that reaches into people’s homes and twists what they feel about their own country and community – creating a narrative of decline, stoking division and sowing despair,” he said.
“On top of that we have seen cyber-attacks on our companies and institutions. And we know that AI will multiply the threat.”
Mr Burnham said that the West had “tiptoed” around this for too long, warning that people who are “struggling with the cost of living” or a “young person not in employment” are going to be “much more vulnerable to this kind of influence”.
Reform’s shadow Chancellor, Robert Jenrick, said: “The disastrous Chagos deal appears dead in the water. Good riddance. It should never have taken the US President to stop the British government sabotaging itself. The billions of pounds that would have been sent to Mauritius must urgently be directed to our armed forces.”
‘A terrible deal!’ Trump blasts Chagos giveaway in awkward moment in Burnham meeting
Donald Trump delivered an unexpected dose of tension during his first face-to-face meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, openly criticising the UK’s agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands while sitting alongside the new British leader in New York.
The meeting at the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2026, was otherwise notably positive in tone. Trump described Burnham as a “natural business person” and said he believed the relationship between Britain and the United States was improving. But when the subject turned to the Chagos Islands, the US president made clear that he remained strongly opposed to the agreement negotiated by the previous British government.
Trump described the arrangement as a “terrible deal” and said the islands, particularly Diego Garcia, were of enormous strategic and military importance. His comments immediately placed the Chagos dispute back at the centre of Britain’s relationship with Washington.
Trump praises Burnham but objects to the Chagos agreement
The contrast in Trump’s remarks was striking.
After meeting Burnham for around 40 minutes, Trump spoke positively about the new prime minister, saying that Britain was in a better position under Burnham than it had been under his predecessor, Keir Starmer.
He also described Burnham as someone with whom he could do business and praised what he called his business instincts. The two leaders discussed a range of subjects, including trade, energy, immigration and major British companies such as Rolls-Royce.
However, Trump then turned to the Chagos Islands.
Asked about the UK’s agreement with Mauritius, he said he did not support it and characterised the transfer of sovereignty as a serious mistake. Trump argued that Diego Garcia was exceptionally important from a military and strategic perspective.
The comments were particularly notable because they were made in front of Burnham rather than in a separate political statement.
Burnham did not attempt to turn the exchange into a public confrontation. Instead, he indicated that his government would work with the United States and Mauritius to find a solution.
That response reflected the position Burnham had already adopted before travelling to New York.
What is the Chagos Islands agreement?
The dispute centres on a treaty signed between Britain and Mauritius in May 2025.
Under the agreement, Mauritius would exercise sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, while Britain would retain extensive rights relating to the operation of the military base on Diego Garcia.
The agreement was designed to address a dispute that has lasted for decades. Britain detached the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, before Mauritius became independent. The islands subsequently became the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The Chagos dispute has also involved the rights of Chagossians, many of whom were removed from the islands between 1968 and 1973 to facilitate the establishment and operation of the military base.
The 2025 treaty provides for Mauritius to become sovereign over the entire archipelago, including Diego Garcia. At the same time, Britain would retain authority necessary to operate the military base for an initial period of 99 years, with provisions allowing for extensions.
The House of Commons Library has described the arrangement as an attempt to resolve the sovereignty dispute while securing the long-term operation of Diego Garcia.
The UK government has argued that maintaining the base is a major national-security priority.
Why is Diego Garcia so important?
Diego Garcia is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, making it valuable for military operations, logistics and communications.
It hosts a joint UK-US military facility that has been used for decades. British officials have repeatedly argued that maintaining reliable access to the base is important for Britain’s defence and for cooperation with the United States.
The UK government’s original justification for the treaty was therefore not simply about sovereignty. Ministers argued that resolving the long-running dispute could provide greater certainty about the future of the base.
The Ministry of Defence has described Diego Garcia as an important military and intelligence facility and said the agreement was intended to protect its future for at least the next century.
That strategic importance explains why Trump’s criticism carries particular diplomatic weight.
The United States is not simply an outside observer. American forces operate from Diego Garcia alongside British forces, meaning Washington has a direct security interest in the future arrangements surrounding the island.
Burnham inherits a difficult diplomatic problem
For Burnham, the controversy has an important complication: he inherited the agreement rather than negotiating it himself.
The treaty was signed under the previous government, and Burnham has repeatedly said that his administration wants to work with both Mauritius and the United States to find a way forward.
Before travelling to New York, Burnham spoke with Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam. Downing Street said the two leaders agreed to remain in close contact and to work towards a solution that would secure the operation of Diego Garcia while protecting British national security.
Burnham therefore entered his meeting with Trump knowing that Washington’s concerns had to be addressed.
After the meeting, he said his government would work towards a resolution acceptable to the different parties.
That approach avoids presenting the issue as a straightforward choice between Britain and Mauritius. Instead, the government is attempting to reconcile three interests: Britain’s strategic requirements, US security concerns and Mauritius’s position on sovereignty.
The agreement is now facing renewed uncertainty
The practical consequences of Trump’s intervention became clearer the following day.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the agreement could not proceed in its current form without American support. He also indicated that payments to Mauritius connected with the treaty were on hold while the government considered how to address Washington’s concerns.
That represents a significant development.
The treaty had already passed through substantial parliamentary scrutiny. The UK and Mauritius had signed the agreement, but implementation still requires the necessary domestic legal procedures.
The House of Commons Library notes that the treaty itself provides for Mauritius to exercise sovereignty while Britain retains rights over Diego Garcia. It also records an estimated average annual payment of about £101 million over the 99-year period, equivalent to approximately £3.4 billion in 2025-26 prices.
The agreement therefore involves long-term strategic, legal and financial commitments.
Trump’s opposition does not automatically erase the treaty, but it creates a major obstacle because the military base is jointly used by Britain and the United States.
A difficult balancing act for Burnham
The episode highlights one of the central challenges facing Burnham’s government: maintaining a close relationship with Washington while managing Britain’s other international commitments.
Trump’s public comments were not an outright rejection of Burnham personally. In fact, the president’s remarks about the prime minister were largely favourable.
That makes the Chagos disagreement particularly interesting.
The meeting demonstrated that personal diplomacy can coexist with substantial differences over policy.
Trump can describe Burnham as someone he can work with while simultaneously rejecting a major element of British foreign and defence policy.
For Burnham, the immediate task is therefore diplomatic rather than rhetorical. He needs to determine whether the existing agreement can be modified sufficiently to address American concerns without undermining the arrangements negotiated with Mauritius.
British officials have acknowledged that this will require detailed negotiations. The Guardian reported that UK officials believed the agreement remained effectively on hold while Trump continued to oppose it, although Burnham expressed confidence that a solution could eventually be found.
The wider Chagos question
The dispute also cannot be separated from the longer history of the Chagos Islands.
Mauritius has maintained its claim to sovereignty for decades, while international legal developments have increased pressure on Britain over its administration of the territory.
The 2019 International Court of Justice advisory opinion was particularly significant in the international debate. The House of Commons Library notes that several international legal decisions have challenged the UK’s position over the territory, although the legal framework surrounding the dispute remains complex.
The British government’s argument has been that the 2025 agreement offers a way to address the sovereignty dispute while protecting the future of Diego Garcia.
Trump’s objection introduces another dimension: whether an agreement negotiated between Britain and Mauritius can work in practice without strong US backing.
What happens next?
The immediate future of the Chagos agreement is now likely to depend on negotiations involving Britain, Mauritius and the United States.
Burnham has already signalled that he wants to continue those discussions rather than abandon the agreement outright. Trump, meanwhile, has made his position clear: he believes the arrangement does not adequately protect American strategic interests.
That leaves several questions unresolved.
Can the existing treaty be adjusted without fundamentally changing its provisions? Can Mauritius accept changes that satisfy Washington? And can Britain guarantee the long-term operation of Diego Garcia while also resolving the sovereignty dispute?
Those questions will require diplomacy rather than a single public statement.
The awkward moment between Trump and Burnham therefore revealed more than a disagreement over one overseas territory. It demonstrated how closely Britain’s foreign policy, defence strategy and relationship with the United States remain connected.
Trump’s description of the agreement as a “terrible deal” created an uncomfortable moment for the new prime minister, but Burnham’s response was to keep the conversation open.
For now, the Chagos agreement remains a work in progress, with the future of Diego Garcia at the centre of a three-way diplomatic problem involving Britain, Mauritius and the United States.