Why the Diego Garcia negotiations remained hard to read

What was the status of the Diego Garcia negotiations?

They were being kept quiet, and Andy Burnham had largely avoided positions attributed to him by members of the previous government.

The negotiations are described as quiet, with little firm public information to assess. Members of the previous government were said to be trying to bind Andy Burnham to particular positions, while he had largely avoided doing so. The exchange offers a snapshot of political uncertainty rather than an account of the agreement's terms. No conclusion is offered about the likely settlement.