Donald Trump has launched a scathing attack on Britain's energy policies and its handling of the Chagos Islands sovereignty deal, dramatically escalating Transatlantic tensions. The former US president condemned what he termed the UK's "catastrophic" failure to exploit North Sea oil and gas resources during a rambling speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Starmer's Defiant Response at PMQs
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered his most direct criticism of Trump yet during a tense Prime Minister's Questions session. Sir Keir accused the American leader of deliberately turning against the Chagos agreement as part of his campaign to acquire Greenland from Denmark.
The Labour leader told the Commons that Trump had the "express" intention of forcing Britain to "yield" to his territorial ambitions. "He wants me to yield on my position and I'm not going to do so," Sir Keir declared firmly.
Chagos Islands Controversy Deepens
The government recently pushed through legislation to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while maintaining a leaseback arrangement for Diego Garcia, which hosts a crucial American military base. This move has sparked significant controversy on both sides of the Atlantic.
Trump's intervention caught Number 10 off guard, particularly since his administration had previously welcomed the agreement with Mauritius as a "monumental achievement" last year. The US president took to his Truth Social platform to denounce what he called an "act of total weakness" that would be noticed by China and Russia.
Greenland Ambitions and Trade Threats
The Chagos dispute has become entangled with Trump's longstanding ambition to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. Sir Keir explicitly linked American anger over the islands to the Greenland controversy during his Commons address.
The Prime Minister outlined his clear position: "The first of those is that the future of Greenland is for the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark alone. The second is that threats of tariffs to pressurise allies are completely wrong."
Transatlantic Relations Under Strain
Relations between the UK and US are reaching new lows amid the high-stakes diplomatic wrangling. Trump has threatened to impose trade tariffs on NATO allies who reject his territorial ambitions, creating significant uncertainty about the future of the special relationship.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced the administration's position in Davos, stating: "President Trump has made it clear that we will not outsource our national security or our hemispheric security to any other countries. Our partner in the UK is letting us down with the base on Diego Garcia."
Domestic Political Fallout
The controversy has sparked rebellion within Starmer's own party. Three Labour MPs - Graham Stringer, Peter Lamb and Bell Ribeiro-Addy - voted with opposition parties against the government's handling of the Chagos legislation.
Several amendments proposed by the House of Lords were rejected by MPs, including proposals to:
- Stop payments to Mauritius if military use of the base became impossible
- Require publication of the treaty's costs
- Disclose estimated expenditure in the first financial year
Economic and Security Implications
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, also attending Davos, sought to reassure about the UK's economic position. She announced that Britain is assembling a coalition of countries to champion free trade and insisted that the UK-US trade deal remains on track despite the diplomatic tensions.
Sir Keir emphasised the importance of maintaining the Transatlantic relationship, particularly regarding defence, security, intelligence cooperation and nuclear capability. He reminded MPs that Russia continues to attack Ukraine, stating: "We have to work with our allies, including the US, on security guarantees."
The Prime Minister added: "It is foolhardy to think that we should rip up our relationship with the US, abandon Ukraine and destabilise all the things that are important to our defence, security and good."
Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty confirmed that discussions would continue with the US administration to reinforce the strength of the Chagos agreement. The government maintains that the deal is necessary due to international court rulings favouring Mauritian sovereignty claims, which threatened the future of the Diego Garcia base.
