Cutting aid for disease fund would be moral failure, Labour MPs tell Starmer | Labour

A group of seven Labor MPs who served as ministers under Keir Starmer have warned the prime minister that an expected cut to UK funding to help fight preventable diseases would be both a “moral failure” and a strategic disaster.

The letter renewed pressure on Starmer to withdraw from an expected 20% cut, with ministers and officials expected to decide within days on the UK’s contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Dozens of Labor MPs have expressed dismay at the idea of ​​the UK cutting its contribution to the Global Fund; especially considering it will be announced on the sidelines of next month’s G20 summit in South Africa, which Starmer will attend.

There is wider concern about Starmer’s apparent reluctance to involve the UK in development projects, with his government deciding not to contribute to a fund for the world’s remaining tropical forests on the eve of the COP30 climate summit.

If the UK’s contribution to the 2027-29 Global Fund is reduced from £1 billion to £800 million, as discussed by senior government officials, it would badly hamper the work of one of the most cost-effective aid programs of modern times and could cause up to 340,000 preventable deaths, aid groups have said.

The letter to Starmer is private and only two of the signatories, Gareth Thomas and Fleur Anderson, have chosen to say they are interested in the matter. But all seven were junior ministers under Starmer and lost their jobs in the reshuffle in September.

Thomas, who was Africa minister under Gordon Brown and trade secretary under Starmer, said he had seen first-hand the impact of the Global Fund’s work in his previous role; For example, mothers were able to protect their unborn children from HIV infection thanks to antiretroviral drugs provided by the Switzerland-based organization.

“These were not abstract statistics. They were healthy babies who would not have survived without this help. The question now is whether we have the will to make it happen,” he said.

“Since 2002, this extraordinary partnership has saved 70 million lives and built resilient health systems around the world. We face a very difficult choice: stand firm and remain committed, or retreat from one of the world’s greatest health achievements.”

“The cost of withdrawal would be devastating. A 20% cut in Britain’s commitment would result in nearly 6 million preventable infections and put the most vulnerable, especially children, at serious risk. Such a move would not only be a moral failure but also a strategic failure.”

Thomas highlighted the UK’s decision earlier this year to cut support for another major international aid project, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi).

The £1.25 billion commitment to Gavi over five years was 24% lower than the amount Boris Johnson committed for 2021-25. However, this was more than many in the aid sector feared, following the UK government’s decision to reduce its foreign aid commitment from 0.7% of national income to 0.5%; this rate will fall to 0.3% in 2027, with speculation that ministers may have increased the amount due to political pressure and media coverage.

Thomas said the reduction in Gavi funding was a “troubling signal of withdrawal”, adding: “We are moving in the wrong direction at the very time when we need to defend international cooperation and multilateralism most strongly.”

He continued: “But this is about more than health. This is about Britain’s national security. Healthy communities that can learn, work and thrive create stable, resilient societies. Tackling disease in the poorest countries alleviates the conditions that fuel instability, displacement and conflict.”

Other Labor MPs I emphasized The risk to HIV and AIDS is particularly high, given developments such as cuts in US aid funding. Another private letter showed 43 backbenchers had written to Starmer about the issue.

Aid groups say cutting off money from the UK to the Global Fund would risk reversing years of progress in fighting the disease, especially after the collapse of US aid.

Last month, a survey commissioned by a major aid group found that 62% of Britons believe the government should maintain or increase its support for the Global Fund. The survey was conducted by More in Common for the One Campaign.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The UK continues to work with the Global Fund to play a key role in the global response to tackling disease globally. Our work has contributed to saving 70 million lives and reducing the overall death toll from HIV, TB and Malaria by 63%.”

“We are firmly committed to tackling global health challenges, not only because it is right, but also to help deliver the plan for change in the UK, supporting global stability and growth.”