Keir Starmer’s decision this week to slash Britain’s overseas aid budget and divert to defence spending will take UK aid to developing countries to its lowest level in a generation.
UK overseas aid has historically risen during Labour governments, most noticeably after Tony Blair came to power in 1997 with a pledge to meet the UN’s target of 0.7% of gross national income.
Almost a third, 28% or £4.3bn, of aid went on support for refugees or asylum seekers in the UK or other donor countries in 2023, a dramatic rise from the 3.2%, or £400m, in 2020.
In 2023, the total aid spend was £15.34bn, almost a third of which was spent on supporting and housing refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.
The UN general assembly set the target in 1970 for developed countries to spend 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on official development assistance (ODA), to promote the economic development and welfare of poorer nations.
