UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour MP Anneliese Dodds has resigned as the international development minister in protest against Keir Starmer’s move to cut the UK’s foreign aid budget.
Anneliese Dodds has vacated her ministerial post in opposition to Labour leader Keir Starmer’s drastic reduction of Britain’s international aid budget to increase military spending.
What did Anneliese Dodds say about UK aid cuts and global security?
Ms Dodds warned that scaling back the UK’s development efforts could empower Russia’s growing global influence while also aiding China’s efforts to reshape international regulations.
The Labour MP forecasted that the prime minister would struggle to preserve development aid for Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine due to severe financial resource cuts.
She expressed her support for increasing the military budget, stating that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had collapsed postwar stability.
The former minister admitted the challenges in making such decisions and accepted that some cuts to the aid budget might be necessary to back the government’s plan of increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a long-term target of reaching 3% in the next parliament.
The Labour MP pointed out that she was informed of Keir Starmer’s aid cut decision on Monday but postponed her resignation to prevent diverting attention from the prime minister’s high-stakes visit to Washington regarding security guarantees for Ukraine from Donald Trump.
The former shadow chancellor argued that Keir Starmer’s 3% defense spending could be just the start amid global uncertainty. She urged the government to consider other funding methods, such as revising borrowing regulations and taxation, instead of cutting departmental budgets.
What did Anneliese Dodds write in her letter to Keir Starmer about defence and aid cuts?
Ms Dodds in her letter to the prime minister, wrote,
“Undoubtedly the postwar global order has come crashing down. I believe that we must increase spending on defence as a result; and know that there are no easy paths to doing so.”
She said,
“I stood ready to work with you to deliver that increased spending, knowing some might well have had to come from overseas development assistance [ODA]. I also expected we would collectively discuss our fiscal rules and approach to taxation, as other nations are doing.”
The ex-minister wrote,
“Even 3% may only be the start, and it will be impossible to raise the substantial resources needed just through tactical cuts to public spending. These are unprecedented times, when strategic decisions for the sake of our country’s security cannot be ducked.”
She added,
“It will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cut; the effect will be far greater than presented, even if assumptions made about reducing asylum costs hold true.”
The Labour MP warned about the risks of cutting aid, insisting that it could compromise Britain’s security and influence while enabling adversarial countries to fill the gap.
She stated,
“The cut will also likely lead to a UK pullout from numerous African, Caribbean and western Balkan nations at a time when Russia has been aggressively increasing its global presence,” adding, “All this while China is seeking to rewrite global rules, and when the climate crisis is the biggest security threat of them all.”
Ms Dodds wrote,
“It was imperative that you had a united cabinet behind you as you set off for Washington. Your determination to pursue peace through strength for Ukraine is one I share.”
The former international development minister added,
“It is for that reason that I am only writing to you now that your meeting with President Trump is over, and four days after you informed me of your decision to cut overseas development assistance to 0.3% of GNI.”
She concluded that these cuts would severely impact those in need while tarnishing Britain’s reputation, adding that regardless of Keir Starmer’s views, the move is already being compared to Trump’s approach to foreign aid.
How did Save the Children UK CEO respond to Anneliese Dodds’ resignation?
Save the Children UK chief executive Moazzam Malik stated,
“The UK Government has lost a highly principled and highly effective minister with a deep commitment to the world’s most vulnerable children and people.”
Mr Malik added,
“This resignation highlights the wide coalition against the government’s decision to cut international aid to the lowest levels on record, at a time when conflict, humanitarian emergencies, climate change and deep-seated poverty are devastating children’s lives.
What did Andrew Mitchell say about Labour’s foreign aid cuts?
Andrew Mitchell, a former deputy foreign secretary, raised concerns that reducing the foreign aid budget could strengthen Russia’s and China’s global influence.
He argued that the move risks supporting Russia, years after its illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Andrew claimed that Labour had contradicted its own stance, highlighting that Keir Starmer had previously opposed the Tories for slashing the international aid budget.
What did Keir Starmer say about increasing military spending?
The prime minister on Tuesday announced that he will raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by cutting foreign aid.
He stated,
“By spending more on defence, we will deliver the stability that underpins economic growth and will unlock prosperity through new jobs, skills and opportunity across the country.”
However, Keir Starmer is also facing backlash from his party and other political figures for the reduction in the international aid budget.