It sometimes seems we are run from America. Donald Trump has slashed US international aid spending to near zero, whilst he is telling the rest of the world to increase defence spending. And so, yesterday, our Prime Minister increased defence spending to 2.5% of GDP whilst finding the money from the world’s most vulnerable and needy, slashing international aid from 0.5% of GDP to just 0.3%.
The cut in development does not equate to the increase in defence, so dodgy accounting there. But I am pleased he has made the commitment to increase defence spending.
There is an interesting argument about this in relation to international aid and development. I completely understand the arguments that spending UK taxpayers’ money on some apparently woke activities in parts of the world that appear less needy than others is not the best use of funds. And that a target spend, as opposed to spending limit, is not good budgeting. But our soft power around the globe is increased due to our commitment, and a mature nation such as ours, relatively wealthy, owes a moral duty to help others genuinely in need. And with regards defence, our recent threats have come from terrorism. It makes sense to reduce the drivers of that threat.
But irrespective of your views on international aid, it is astonishing that Keir Starmer continues to attack the poor and needy. I’m struggling to understand what Labour stand for anymore. They’ve taken away winter fuel payments from pensioners, taxed family farms, and now they take money away from the poorest in the world. When making savings to pay for an important investment, why not find money from the bloated civil service? Why not understand why NHS productivity has crashed since Covid? Why not do more to get the 9.1 million economically inactive people claiming benefits back into work?
The world is changing and the threats that we face are different. For many years it was peace keeping and counter terrorism that drove our military needs. Now, we see a shift to large state problems. The Ukraine war, Donald Trump’s interventions, the growing tensions in the Taiwan Straits, suggest that we are seeing a fundamental change where large states may be problematic, more prepared to be confrontational. We need to adapt our defence provision to meet that challenge. So, ten out of ten for Sir Keir on his defence move. But at the expense of the poorest?