LONDON — The British Minister for International Development announced her resignation on Friday, following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent decision to boost defense spending by cutting funds allocated for foreign aid.
Anneliese Dodds, who also serves as the minister for women, informed Starmer of her resignation through a letter. In it, she expressed her disagreement with the decision, warning that the reduction in aid could create opportunities for China and Russia to step in. Dodds acknowledged the challenges involved with increasing defense spending but stood firm against the decrease in overseas aid.
Earlier in the week, Starmer announced plans to elevate the U.K.’s defense budget to 2.5% of the gross domestic product by 2027, up from 2.3%, citing a new age of insecurity in Europe that demands a substantial, long-term response. This increment would be supported by trimming the aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP, a decision that Starmer described as “difficult and painful.” The cut amounts to approximately 6 billion pounds ($7.6 billion) annually.
Although Dodds agreed on the necessity for greater defense funding and recognized that the aid budget might need adjustment, she found the level of reduction too extensive. Dodds warned that such cuts could deprive desperate individuals of essential needs like food and healthcare, while severely damaging the United Kingdom’s global reputation.
“You maintained your commitment to support areas like Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine as well as vaccination, climate, and rules-based systems,” Dodds stated in her letter. “However, given the severity of these cuts, preserving these priorities will be impossible, and the repercussions will be far-reaching.”
The decision for increased defense spending received backing from U.S. President Donald Trump but faced harsh criticism from aid organizations, which argued that funding the defense surge by reducing development assistance harmed some of the globe’s most vulnerable populations, diminishing Britain’s influence in soft power.
Dodds admitted she refrained from stepping down earlier in the week when the aid budget cut was officially announced, emphasizing that it was crucial for Starmer to have the Cabinet’s full support before his visit to Washington to meet President Trump on Thursday.
“I am writing to you now because your meeting with President Trump has concluded,” she added. Dodds explained that while Starmer is not ideologically against international development, the decision to cut foreign aid for increasing defense spending is perceived as following President Trump’s pattern of reducing support for USAID.
In response, Starmer expressed pride in Britain’s historical role as a major player in development, hoping to eventually “rebuild” the nation’s capacity in this area. “Nevertheless, safeguarding our national security must always be the foremost duty of any government, and I will consistently act in the best interests of the British people,” Starmer concluded.
