By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - The UK's foreign secretary on Wednesday defended the government's decision to slash international aid spending in order to fund an increase in defense spending, acknowledging the "difficult choice" but underscoring the need for a pragmatic approach in tough fiscal times.
In an article published in The Guardian on Tuesday, David Lammy emphasized that while the UK remains committed to international development, the current economic realities required balancing national security priorities with foreign aid obligations.
As part of this approach, the government has decided to reduce overseas aid spending to 0.3% of GDP.
"We are a government of pragmatists, not ideologues," Lammy wrote.
"To make this (higher defense spending) commitment and stick within our fiscal rules, we have had to make the extremely difficult decision to lower our spending on international development," he added.
While Lammy admitted that many vital aid programs would be affected, he reassured the public that the government would prioritize key projects in the world’s most conflict-ridden regions.
"We will protect the most vital program in the world’s worst conflict zones of Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan," he said, stressing that these areas would remain a core focus despite the overall reduction in the budget.
The move to cut aid spending has been met with criticism, especially as Lammy himself had earlier criticized similar cuts made by US President Donald Trump.
Just weeks ago, Lammy called the US decision to reduce its aid budget a "big strategic mistake."
In today’s article, he said that while the UK must address urgent national security concerns, it would not turn its back on global humanitarian efforts.
He reaffirmed the government’s long-term goal to return the aid spending to 0.7% of the UK’s gross national income once fiscal conditions allow.
"The work of making further tough choices about program will proceed at pace over the weeks and months ahead," Lammy said, indicating that the government would continue to review and reassess aid allocations in the coming months.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday unveiled ambitious plans to boost UK defense spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027, a move that comes as efforts to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine intensify.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Starmer outlined the government’s strategy to allocate more funds to defense, while scaling back the UK’s aid budget.
Under the new plans, the UK's defense budget will rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with an additional £13.4 billion ($16.9 billion) allocated annually for military spending.
As part of this increase, the UK's aid budget will be reduced from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP by 2027, with the savings redirected to support defense investments.