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The UK government has decided to focus its reduced overseas aid budget on regions experiencing the most severe crises and conflicts, according to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. She explained that while some countries will face significant reductions in direct funding, others, such as Ukraine, Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan, will continue to receive fully protected aid next year. In contrast, nations including Mozambique and Pakistan are expected to see some of the largest cuts to their direct grants.
This scaling back aligns with a government plan announced last year to reduce the aid budget by approximately £6 billion by 2027, with the savings redirected toward increased defense spending. The move has drawn criticism from aid organizations and politicians; for example, Labour MP Sarah Champion described the cuts as reckless, warning they could increase global vulnerability. Similarly, Bond, a UK network representing development organizations, cautioned that the cuts would severely impact regions like the Middle East and Africa.
In her statement to Members of Parliament, Cooper emphasized that although direct bilateral aid will be scaled down, support for multilateral partnerships such as the vaccine alliance Gavi will be maintained. She highlighted priorities including assisting fragile states, addressing violence against women and girls, and responding to climate change. Cooper specified that countries like Yemen, Somalia, and Afghanistan would remain humanitarian priorities despite reductions in their direct grant funding. Instead, the UK intends to focus more on partnerships that promote investment, trying to transition from a donor role to that of an investor, helping countries attract finance and reduce aid dependency.
Critics remain wary, with Sarah Champion pointing out the strategic implications, saying military officials consider development aid essential for prevention and security. She warned that reductions in aid could drive more people to seek refuge in the UK due to diminished opportunities abroad. Liberal Democrat international spokesperson Monica Harding described the government’s policy as strategically short-sighted, cautioning that global rivals such as Russia or China might fill the void left by the UK’s reduced presence. Additionally, questions arose about support for disease eradication efforts; Cooper confirmed that while direct funding for Polio would end, the disease’s inclusion within Gavi’s funding would continue. Representatives from organizations like Bond and the ONE Campaign emphasized the harsh consequences of aid cuts, particularly in Africa and the Middle East, where needs remain critical.
The decision follows earlier reductions in aid spending by the previous Conservative government, which lowered the commitment from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income in 2021 due to economic pressures linked to the Covid pandemic. Despite Labour’s 2024 election manifesto pledge to restore spending to 0.7% when fiscally feasible, the party revealed plans to cut it further to 0.3% by 2027. A recent House of Commons Library briefing estimated that at 0.3%, UK aid would total around £9.2 billion, representing a 31% drop according to the government’s own equality impact assessment. Labour MP Dr. Beccy Cooper warned that these spending cuts endanger global health security, arguing that fragile health systems in poor countries could accelerate the spread of diseases.
Shadow Foreign Office minister Wendy Morton acknowledged that the reduction in funding must come with genuine reform but expressed concern about the lack of clarity on such changes. Amid these budget shifts, UK international aid rules permit some funds to be spent domestically to support asylum seekers within their first year of arrival. Government figures indicate that in 2024, around £2.8 billion—20% of the aid budget—was allocated to assisting refugees in the UK, notably covering accommodation costs. The government has also stated its commitment to ending the use of asylum hotels for housing newly arrived asylum seekers
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