The British government’s negotiation with the Republic of Mauritius to cede the Chagos Islands has been a mess. At time of writing, expectations of an imminent agreement (or rather re-agreement, as the United Kingdom already received the last Mauritian government’s blessing — before the new one rejected the terms and re-opened talks) have morphed overnight into reports that London might now wait to give the incoming Trump administration the final say. As our recent Policy Exchange report argues