On Thursday afternoon, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that Britain had agreed a deal to hand over the British Indian Ocean Territory – the Chagos Archipelago – to Mauritius.

The deal, dubbed by furious critics a “surrender”, will soon see Mauritius fulfil its decades-long goal to take hold of the islands, which Britain carved away from its former Crown Colony of Mauritius back in the 1960s to secure a military stronghold in the Indian Ocean.

Since then, a series of supranational bodies have piled pressure on the UK to give up its own land, culminating in a 2019 “advisory opinion” dished out by the International Court of Justice.

And now, Labour has agreed to let the Chagos Islands go. “Surely, our most humiliating day as a nation since Suez,” ex-Tory Minister Simon Clarke fumed.

The Defence Secretary, John Healey, said the giveaway was “vital” – and without it, Britain would face an international legal battle to keep hold of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.

“Within weeks, we could face losing legal rulings – and within just a few years the base would become inoperable,” he warned.

While Starmer – himself a former lawyer, and whose top backers on the “surrender” include Attorney General Richard Hermer and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell – fell back on international law to defend the deal.

“If Mauritius took us to court again, which they certainly would have, the UK’s longstanding legal view is that we would not have a realistic prospect of success and would likely face provisional measures orders within a matter of weeks,” the PM said.

Labour has also pointed to the security of the so-called “electromagnetic spectrum” on the islands.

If their British administration were to be cast into international legal doubt, the International Telecommunications Union could, in theory, step in and cut off the UK and US’s comms.

LATEST AS THE CHAGOS DEBACLE COMES TO A CLOSE:

• Ed Davey takes swipe at Tories as eleventh hour intervention halts Chagos deal in its tracks
• ‘I lost my breath!’ Martin Daubney blasts Keir Starmer for ‘very shabby’ move as Chagos deal signed
• Keir Starmer claims Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are ‘in with Russia, China and Iran’ in Chagos tirade

But former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, on Thursday evening, pointed to what she labelled the “unforgivable” real reason behind the handover.

On the third page of the UK-Mauritian agreement sits a series of pledges accompanying the deal. “Mutual respect”, “trust”, “peace and security” all lead the introduction to the accord.

It also hails “the unique circumstances and history of the Chagos Archipelago” and the security of the Diego Garcia base.

Braverman, however, highlighted another point of note: “The need to complete the process of decolonisation of Mauritius” – and a pledge to “recognise the wrongs of the past”.

“Billions of pounds of your money given away to virtue signal on the world stage,” she said after pointing out the text.

“This deal was never about national security, but about decolonisation and rewriting history.

“The Prime Minister is ashamed of this country and hates our past.

“Diego Garcia and the Chagossians were his price. Totally unforgivable.”

Her words follow the warning of ex-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat earlier this year.

In his former role, he “saw the advice on the Chagos Islands deal”, he said. “This [telecommunications] ‘explanation’ is nonsense”.

And his words follow the remarks of now-Mauritian PM Navin Ramgoolam, who after Labour’s election victory last summer heaped praise on Sir Keir Starmer.

“This landslide victory reflects the trust and confidence the British people have placed in your leadership and vision for the future,” Ramgoolam beamed.

“Your commitment to social justice, economic fairness, and international co-operation resonates deeply with us.

“We believe your tenure will usher in a new era of progressive change and strengthen the relations between our two nations.”

The two now-Prime Ministers had met while Starmer was still Director of Public Prosecutions in 2013.

The future Labour chief had been hosted at a five-star hotel near the island nation’s capital Port Louis shortly before entering politics.

Ramgoolam added last summer: “Your visit to Mauritius underscored the strong ties between our two nations and highlighted the values of justice and human rights that we both cherish deeply.”

Though “social justice” and “decolonisation” may be the words headlining the ties between Britain and Mauritius, just last week, the Chinese ambassador to the country had committed to “deepening full-fledged exchanges and co-operation” between the pair.

As Braverman told GB News: “China is one of the greatest threats we face.

“Before we know it, our Diego Garcia base will be compromised and overrun with Chinese spy equipment.”

Labour is “incessant on kowtowing to communist China”, she added.