The former head of the Foreign Office has warned Rachel Reeves not to cut Britain’s international aid spending, amid signs the chancellor is willing to raid the development budget to help pay for higher defence spending.
Romilly Greenhill, the chief executive of Bond, which lobbies on behalf of development NGOs, said: “Any suggestions to follow in the US’s footsteps and cut development and humanitarian spending to fund defence spending would be reckless, short-sighted and would in fact undermine the UK’s own security interests.”.
Simon McDonald, the former lead civil servant at the Foreign Office, said it would damage Britain’s global reputation if Reeves chose to reduce aid as she looks for savings across Whitehall in this year’s spending review.
Government sources have told the Guardian the aid budget is one of a number of areas being eyed up for savings, with the chancellor demanding that ministers justify every item of government spending.
Asked whether the chancellor was considering aid cuts, however, another official close to the spending review process said: “Everything is at risk in this spending review.”.
