In recent months, I have had numerous emails about UK aid and the Department for International Development.
The UK has an extensive and proud record on international development. As a member of the United Nations, the UK adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, committing to a global agenda to end poverty, protect the planet, and improve lives worldwide. I believe aligning our development efforts with broader foreign policy objectives is the most effective way to achieve these goals.
The merger of the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2020 to create the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has led to an integrated and strategic approach. This should ensure that UK aid is delivered in harmony with our diplomatic priorities, enabling us to provide targeted, impactful assistance where it is most needed. Aid is not distributed indiscriminately but carefully managed through trusted organisations or British aid workers, with robust oversight to ensure its effectiveness. By combining development and diplomacy, the FCDO is better equipped to address global challenges while advancing the UK’s strategic interests. I believe reinstating a separate department for international development would be unnecessary and counterproductive.
In today’s dangerous world where our country faces unprecedented threats – be that from Russia, Iran or China – it is clear that we need realism in our foreign and defence policy. The first duty of every Government should be to protect our country and citizens, which is why the last Government had a clear plan in place to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP and we have pressed the Government to match our commitment.
To increase funding in the short term to reach 2.5 per cent of GDP, I believe it is right that part of the overseas aid budget is repurposed to support the defence and security of our country, our allies and our interests. Nevertheless, I do recognise the concern that this reduction in ODA has caused and it is therefore vital that the Government outlines which programmes it is prioritising and how it is going to ensure the considerable resources still going into ODA will be spent delivering high quality outcomes for those most in need. Please be assured that my colleagues and I will closely examine any further information that is provided about how the Government plans to allocate the ODA budget.
