Lord Weir says a new Bill aimed at protecting British control over the Chagos Islands “sends out a message to quite a shameful approach” by Labour over the future of the territory.

The DUP politician introduced the first reading of the British Sovereignty Protection (Chagos Islands) Bill in the House of Lords on Friday (June 5) as a Private Member's Bill.

According to the Bill, it would affirm and protect the sovereignty of the United Kingdom over the Chagos Islands and the British Indian Ocean Territory.

It would also restrict any future transfer or cession of sovereignty unless approved by Parliament and without the consent of the Chagossian people.

Furthermore, the legislation would protect the strategic and defence importance of the territory, including Diego Garcia.

The Bill also contains provisions requiring the Government to protect the British Indian Ocean Territory’s exclusive economic zone from illegal fishing and other security threats.

The Chagos Islands have been at the centre of a controversial diplomatic wrangle after the terms of a deal agreed last year, where Britain will hand sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but lease back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years.

The deal will also see the UK pay an average of £101 million a year to Mauritius over that period, totalling around £3.4 billion according to official figures.

But opponents of the deal have said the real cost could amount to around £35 billion, adjusting for inflation, and argued it puts the base at risk and could open the door to China establishing a presence on the archipelago.

However the deal – which has faced heavy criticism – was paused before Parliament was prorogued in April.

US president Donald Trump had flip-flopped on the issue, both backing it and opposing it at different junctures.

"I’m pleased that the Bill has taken the first step and we will probably get more into the direct substance of it come the autumn,” Lord Weir said.

"The Chagos Islands is a place which has been British for over 200 years and it’s clear when you talk to Chagossians that they want to remain British.

"I think we’ve got to defend their right to do that but if they take a different decision, then we would respect that right as well.

"It’s about that Britishness and the self-determination of the people of the Chagos Islands.

"Part of the Bill is that if there is any attempt by government about transferring sovereignty in the future that it would have to approved by an act of Parliament but also a referendum approval by the Chagossian people.

"Whenever we had the debates on it, there was a little bit of allegation and counter-allegation between the government and the opposition.

"I’m less interested in the ping-pong of this. I think what is critical is that we do right by the situation we face today and if government is being forced into a partial u-turn on it, then perhaps they can build on this and this would be a positive step.

"They have to opportunity to show that they want to do the right thing and make a change on this.”

As a Private Member's Bill, its chances of becoming law depend heavily on government support and the availability of parliamentary time.

Writing on X, Lord (Daniel) Hannan, a former Conservative Party politician, said: “Good news. My patriotic friend @LordWeirDUP won the Private Members’ Bill ballot, and has just introduced a Bill to prohibit any change in the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands without the consent of both Parliament and the Chagossian people. We are going to win this thing.”