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.
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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.
