US President Donald Trump ‘surprised’ Nigel Farage when he said he thought the US would be ‘inclined to go along’ with Keir Starmer’s deal to hand over the Chagos Islands
Nigel Farage says he ‘very much hopes’ president changes his mind
Nigel Farage faced embarrassment on live radio after he was called out for saying Donald Trump’s team was against the UK’s Chagos Islands deal.
The Reform UK leader was read the words of the US President, who said he thought his country would be “inclined to go along” with Keir Starmer’s deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius. Mr Farage was challenged over the fact he’s insisted he had inside information from members of Mr Trump’s Cabinet that they were against the deal.
In a moment of humiliation, a member of the public asked Mr Farage on LBC radio “how you got it so wrong”. The Reform UK leader admitted he was “very surprised” by Mr Trump’s words – casting doubt over how much Mr Farage knows about what is actually going on inside the White House.
He said: “Well Trump said he was inclined to support it, and maybe he was just been nice to Keir Starmer, who was there in the Oval Office… And I have to say, I’m very surprised having spoken to some people who are Cabinet members there.
LBC host Nick Ferrari hit back: “You said three members of the Cabinet, I’ve spoken to personally about this… why has he changed his mind Mr Farage?” Mr Farage continued: “Well, I think the point is this, they probably think the Brits are going to do this anyway, that the Brits are desperate to get rid of the Chagos islands for some sort of student politics type reason, and that if Britain are going to get rid of it anyway, then this is the best of a bad job. What I’ve also heard, which has not been mentioned before, one thing I have been told by senior Americans, is they will not be paying a penny.”
But Mr Ferrari pressed again on Mr Farage being wrong: “President Trump did say, ‘I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well.’ That is contrary to everything you said Nigel Farage.” “No, I said there are some people very, very worried in America about the deal. I am surprised. But hey, do you know what? It’s not over yet… He said: ‘We are inclined to support you.’ I think there could be a change and I very much hope there is.”
In his trip to Washington DC last week, Mr Starmer appeared to win Mr Trump’s backing for the Chagos Islands deal. The agreement includes a plan to lease back the strategically important US-UK military base on Diego Garcia at British taxpayers’ expense. The UK has offered Mr Trump an effective veto on the deal because of its implications for US security, and allies of the president have criticised the plan.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside the Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: “We’re going to have some discussions about that very soon, and I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well.”
He said it was a “very long-term, powerful lease, a very strong lease” and that “I think we’ll be inclined to go along with your country.” Under the plan, the UK is expected to lease Diego Garcia for 99 years, with an option for a 40-year extension.