Senior Labour MPs demand Reeves U-turns on foreign cuts
Senior Labor MPs have demanded Rachel Reeves make a U-turn on controversial foreign aid cuts, presenting a roadmap to reform the budget to save millions of people from humanitarian crises.
Key figures including Sarah Champion, chair of the international development committee, and Liam Byrne, chair of the business committee, are calling for Ms Reeves to add billions of dollars to the budget she cut last year for more defense spending.
In a letter to the chancellor, who is due to announce his final or final budget on Wednesday, they insist the UK must outline a roadmap to bring its foreign aid budget back from 0.3 per cent of gross national income (GNI) to 0.7 per cent – a 25-year low – to ensure it meets its international obligations.
It comes amid concerns that Ms Reeves may seek to cut spending further as she tries to stabilize the country’s finances and plug a £20bn black hole.
The cuts sparked a fierce debate within the Labor Party and led to international development minister Anneliese Dodds dramatically resigning in protest. And analysis shared exclusively by Save the Children IndependentIt found that they would leave 55.5 million of the world’s poorest people without access to basic resources such as water, food aid, education and family planning.
Although Labor has pledged to return the rate to 0.7 per cent in 2024, Ms Reeves has offered no plans to restore the aid budget, which is currently focused mainly on Gaza.
Letter from senior Labor Party leader to Mrs Reeves Independent, He says: “At a time when pressure is mounting on the international rules-based order, the UK cutting development funding would weaken our soft power, increase the risk to our security and create greater opportunities for rogue regimes.
“We know you are rightly focused on a decade of national renewal, but our manifesto also recognized our international responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council and the G7 to help reduce poverty, climate change and instability that fuels global conflict and increased migration.
“A firm timetable to return development spending to just 0.7 per cent of GNP will enable the FCDO to plan strategically, make temporary cuts and at the same time maximize value for money for taxpayers.”
The signatories bring together different factions in the party and include defense chief Tan Dhesi and former business and Africa minister Gareth Thomas. Emily Darlington, Alistair Darling’s former adviser at the Treasury, former minister Fleur Anderson and Dr Worthing West MP, APPG’s head of Global Health and Safety. Beccy Cooper also weighed in.
The signatories unite all segments of the party, from left to right, on the issue.
They noted: “Currently, a fifth of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to Donor Refugee Costs in the UK rather than lifesaving programs abroad. This is expected to rise to a third of ODA next year. We know you are committed to reducing spending on asylum hotels and we request that you return the savings to the FCDO to support our development, diplomatic and security agenda abroad.”
Arguing that a firm timetable is needed to return to 0.7 percent, officials said: “Such an approach would avoid the mistakes of the previous government, where indiscriminate cuts caused serious human harm and put public funds at risk by hastily eliminating effective programs. The damage their actions have done to the global reputation cannot be ignored.”
“We are deeply concerned that the Ad Development Assistance budget cannot withstand further cuts. Every cut in global development funding puts lives at risk and creates a vacuum that geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia will be quick to try and fill.”
The manifesto commitment we are all talking about promised to return development spending to 0.7 percent of GNP. The ‘when financial conditions permit’ warning makes the risks seem increasingly hollow.”
They added: “Like investments in our armed forces or research and development, development spending cannot achieve meaningful and lasting results without stability and sustainable planning. We hope you will agree that we must now remain financially committed to a long-term international development plan.”
If the UK returns to 0.7 per cent of GNP, the overseas development and aid budget is predicted to more than double to around £20bn in 2027.
This article was produced as part of The Independent. Rethinking Global Aid project
