Starmer faced some internal scrutiny of the decision at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday when the Labour veteran Diane Abbott said moving money from aid to defence “makes people less safe, not more safe because the desperation and the poverty that so often leads to warfare is what aid and development money is supposed to counter”.
Cabinet ministers including Ed Miliband have raised concerns over Keir Starmer’s decision to slash overseas aid to pay for increased defence spending, as dozens of Labour MPs from all wings of the party expressed alarm at the plan.
After aid agencies warned that the decision to cut the UK’s aid commitment from 0.5% of GDP annually to 0.3% would have a devastating impact in many areas, several MPs condemned the idea as shortsighted and unjustified.
Speaking to broadcasters on Wednesday, Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, said that while it was “devastating” to cut aid, the cabinet was “united that the number one responsibility of any government is to keep its citizens safe”.
While there is no suggestion of a revolt against Starmer’s plan, the Guardian understands that Miliband, the energy secretary, was among the ministers who expressed worry at the impact of the aid cut during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
