David Miliband, a former Labour foreign secretary who now leads the International Rescue Committee, said: “The UK government’s decision to cut aid by £6bn in order to fund defence spending is a blow to Britain’s proud reputation as a global humanitarian and development leader.”.
Starmer said the decision to cut aid had been an “extremely difficult and painful” one, but said it was necessary to increase defence spending because “a generational challenge requires a generational response”.
However, cabinet sources said that while there had been unity over increasing defence spending, several ministers had warned about the “unintended consequences” of the decision on Britain’s international reputation and influence.
The move, just two days before the prime minister is due to meet Donald Trump, raised immediate concerns that he was pandering to the US president, and fury from aid groups that say it could cost lives in countries that rely on UK support.
In a surprise announcement, Starmer unveiled the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the cold war, with the budget rising to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – three years earlier than planned – and an ambition to eventually reach 3%.
