BRITAIN will hold fresh talks with Mauritius next week as Andy Burnham pushes ahead with Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial Chagos Islands deal.

Mauritian officials told The Sun they are due to meet the Foreign Office over the stalled agreement.

Military aircraft on the runway of Diego Garcia, with a bomber taking off over the turquoise Indian Ocean.Credit: Getty Images – Getty Andy Burnham speaking at a memorial event.Prime Minister Andy Burnham Credit: AP

It comes after Foreign Office minister Uma Kumaran defended the deal in the Commons yesterday and confirmed cash for the treaty remained budgeted for.

But himself has yet to publicly set out his position on the agreement since entering No10.

Mauritius has now made clear it remains determined to push the deal over the line – with officials from the two countries having already met in July.

A spokesperson for the Mauritian Attorney General told The Sun: “Engagement between Mauritius and the on the Agreement is ongoing.

“Officials from both sides met in July, and a further meeting between the Mauritian team and the FCDO is scheduled for next week.

“Mauritius remains fully committed to the Agreement and to seeing it through to completion.”

The deal would hand sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius while Britain pays to lease back Diego Garcia, home to a crucial joint UK-US military base.

But it has been stuck in limbo since February after President Trump withdrew his support and branded it a “great act of stupidity”.

It leaves Mr Burnham facing an early diplomatic headache over whether to press ahead with his predecessor’s agreement.

The PM risks a clash with Mauritius if Britain walks away but could put himself on a collision course with the White House if he pushes ahead.

The fresh talks also come just weeks before the UN General Assembly in New York, where Mauritius is expected to press Britain for progress.

Ms Kumaran told MPs yesterday that maintaining long-term operational control of Diego Garcia was a “top priority” and the “entire basis” of the agreement.

She also said Britain’s defence was best served by securing “legal certainty” over the islands.

The Tories have demanded Mr Burnham ditch the agreement, which they have branded a surrender of British territory.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “The Chagos surrender deal has damaged our global reputation and will put our security and that of our allies at risk. It belongs on the ash heap of history.

“Burnham should show some backbone and break with this terrible legacy of the Starmer years by ditching his crazy Chagos deal once and for all, and spending the savings on our armed forces.”