Government announces substantial and immediate changes to aid budget

The End of Illusions

Keir Starmer’s cuts to foreign aid represent a historic break with Labour tradition. But restoring international solidarity today needs new institutions of the exploited, not a revival of the dying professional aid industry. Aid from the UK arrives in southern Turkey following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. (Credit: FCDO via Flickr) Commitment to foreign aid has been one of the most constant features of Labour internationalism since the 1960s. Des…

The presentation this week of the UK Labour Government’s economic plan has confirmed Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ever-increasing shift towards right-wing policies. Starmer has opted for a strict fiscal policy to prevent an increase in debt interest and has announced major cuts in public spending, including 6 billion euros in social benefits, with the aim of balancing the accounts without the need to approve further tax increases. The austerity…

Government announces substantial and immediate changes to aid budget

The UK aid budget will no longer be linked to changes in the UK’s gross national income, instead being given a fixed budget potentially protecting it from spending by other departments, the Labour Government has confirmed. The announcement could mark a major shift in the way that UK aid spending is allocated. In a letter to the Chair of the International Development Committee, Minister Baroness Chapman (above) said the Foreign, Commonwealth and …