Falklands and Gibraltar will remain British, Keir Starmer pledges

The UK government wanted the treaty signed and ratified in 2025, he said, arguing it was a “historic moment” which had “saved” the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands.

Shadow foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell said neither of Mr Lammy’s Conservative predecessors – Lord Cameron or James Cleverly – would have agreed the deal, despite 11 rounds of negotiations involving the Foreign Office since 2022.

He called on the government to reassure the people of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands that the “ill-advised decision” would not impact their sovereignty.

Last week, in response to the Chagos agreement, Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino promised “concrete action” to ensure that the Falklands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas, were handed to Buenos Aires.

Spain continues to assert its sovereignty over Gibraltar, which it ceded to Britain in 1713.

But speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir vowed that British sovereignty over both territories would not be up for negotiation.

He was responding to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who called on him to renegotiate the UK’s trade deal with the European Union in a way that enabled fishermen in the Falklands to sell their catches in Europe without having to pay “huge amounts” in tariffs.

The prime minister replied: “Of course we will do everything we can to make it easier for all businesses to trade more freely so that we can grow our economy.”

But he added: “I’ve been very clear about the Falklands, it’s personal to me.”

Sir Keir has previously spoken about his uncle Roger’s service in the Falklands conflict.

In June, he recalled “the terrible wait when his ship was bombed. My mum’s fear as she sat by the radio every day, listening for news, and then the relief, a long week later, when we found out he had survived.”