Brief
Badenoch accuses Farage of offering Chagos in exchange for silence on Falklands
The Conservative business secretary criticised Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for suggesting a deal involving the Chagos Islands and the Falklands.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Kemi Badenoch, the UK business secretary, publicly rebuked Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on Thursday after Farage appeared to propose trading the Diego Garcia base for Donald Trump’s silence on the Falkland Islands dispute.
What happened
During an appearance on the US‑based "Benny Show" podcast, Farage said he would tell President Trump that the Chagos Islands could be his and ask the US president to "please stop talking about the Falkland Islands." He added that he would offer the use of Diego Garcia "in perpetuity" to the United States, describing the base as "the most strategic American military base in the world" for nuclear submarines and long‑range bombers.
What the reports add
The Independent reported that Farage’s comments were framed as a trade: Chagos for silence on the Falklands. The article notes that the US President has not fully backed British sovereignty over the Falklands, which Argentina’s president Javier Milei continues to contest. It also mentions that the UK finalized a treaty in May transferring Chagos sovereignty to Mauritius, but payments have been paused while the UK re‑evaluates the agreement after Trump called the pact "terrible".
What was said
"I’d have gone in and said, ‘Right, you know what, mate? Chagos, it’s yours. Diego Garcia, in perpetuity…’" Farage told the podcast, as quoted by the Independent.
Badenoch responded, "The Chagos Islands are British. And the Falklands are British, and will remain British, irrespective of what the American president says," and added that Farage’s remarks were "humiliating" and "careless, loose talk from a man who wants to be responsible for Britain’s national security."
How it came about
The row emerges against a backdrop of heightened tension over the Falklands, including recent UK statements defending the islands and Argentine President Milei’s threats of legal action, as covered in Felo’s earlier pieces on the Falklands dispute. The pending UK‑Mauritius treaty on Chagos also provides context for the sensitivity of any discussion about the territory.
Key facts
- Nigel Farage suggested offering Diego Garcia to the US in exchange for Trump’s silence on the Falklands (independent.co.uk)
- Kemi Badenoch called Farage’s remarks humiliating and said the Chagos Islands remain British (independent.co.uk)
- The UK finalized a treaty transferring Chagos sovereignty to Mauritius in May, but payments are paused (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Badenoch and Farage embroiled in furious row over Falklands and Chagos Islands”
