The British empire still sends governments mad. Labour’s Foreign Office minister in charge of its lasting shreds, Stephen Doughty, has granted the isolated Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean to the sovereignty of independent Mauritius. This modest act of decolonisation makes sense. But the government wants to retain a joint US-UK military base there. Why? Britain no longer rules India or Singapore. A base off India, even a shared one, is pure imperial show.

Doughty has 14 other “overseas territories” in his charge. Among them are Bermuda, Pitcairn, Montserrat, the Caymans, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The union flag will still fly over them; the Royal Navy will keep guard and sing the national anthem.

Over the past half-century many territories, such........

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