Prime Minister Andy Burnham is reportedly planning to reverse historic cuts to Britain's foreign aid budget by restoring international development spending to 0.7 percent of Gross National Income, according to a report by The Independent.
A roadmap for the target will accompany a restructuring of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under incoming Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who will oversee international development and climate objectives.
The policy comes after previous reductions lowered spending to 0.3 percent of GNI under Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, which sparked lobbying from senior Labour lawmakers seeking a return to the historic target.
Political Opposition and Criticism
Opponents on the political right criticized the proposal following reports of the FCDO overhaul.
"Andy Burnham plans to spend an extra £10bn of your money on foreign aid. I will always put British people first," said Nigel Farage, Leader of Reform UK.
Further pushback emerged from other political figures regarding the potential financial reallocation.
"A decision that betrays millions and millions of British men and women," said Rupert Lowe, Leader of Restore Britain.
Concurrently, newly released FCDO figures revealed bilateral aid to Africa will decrease by £874 million by 2029, with several fragile and conflict-affected states facing significant reductions.
The Democratic Republic of Congo faces a 35 percent reduction from £129.7 million in 2025 to £84 million by 2027, while funding for Myanmar will fall by 30 percent to £55.3 million.
Non-governmental organizations criticized the specific country-level reductions despite government pledges to protect vulnerable regions.
"While the Foreign Secretary has repeatedly stated that fragile and conflict-affected countries will be prioritised and protected [...
] cuts to countries such as Afghanistan, DRC, Myanmar, Somalia and Syria tell a different story," said Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond.
Greenhill emphasized the potential long-term humanitarian consequences of the reductions.
"These countries are already enduring conflict or facing heightened risks of instability.
Cutting support now is short-sighted and risks undermining hard-won progress, deepening poverty and driving further insecurity," said Greenhill.
Government officials defended the distribution of remaining bilateral aid allocations during parliamentary proceedings.
"We will prioritise bilateral overseas development assistance (ODA) where humanitarian needs are most acute," said Baroness Chapman, former Minister for Development.
Chapman noted the concentration of risks in fragile areas.
"Poverty, insecurity and climate risks are increasingly concentrated in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS)," said Chapman.
Despite government statements, development advocates maintained that the trajectory reflects policy choices prioritizing other fiscal commitments.
"These statistics aren’t surprising or an accident – but they are the devastating result of the political decisions taken by a Labour Government to de-prioritise support for the world’s poorest," said Tim Ingram, Head of UK Advocacy at WaterAid.
