Speaking in Rabat earlier this month, the UK's foreign secretary David Lammy announced that his government would now be backing Morocco's claims to sovereignty over the Western Sahara. Lammy said "the UK has chosen to endorse autonomy within the Moroccan state as the most credible, viable, and pragmatic basis for a mutually agreed and lasting solution to the Western Sahara dispute, one that can deliver on our commitments to conflict resolution in the region and self-determination for the people of Western Sahara."
It is hoped that the move will unlock billions of pounds' worth of investment deals and infrastructure projects for British companies in Morocco.
The Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until 1975. After Spain's withdrawal, both Morocco and the independent Polisario Front movement claimed sovereignty over the territory.
The territory remains on the United Nations' list of non-self-governing territories, but efforts to resolve the conflict through UN-mediated talks have largely stalled over the past decade.
While Britain has maintained a neutral stance on this dispute since then, it has now joined a growing number of powers - such as France, Germany, and Israel - in formally recognising Morocco's claims to the land.