A former U.K. development minister has told members of Parliament he was “absolutely horrified” by the U.K. government’s decision to cut foreign aid to 0.3% of gross national income, saying the move was “completely extraordinary” for a Labour government.
Speaking at the International Development Select Committee Tuesday, Andrew Mitchell — who served with the Conservative Party as minister for development and Africa from 2022 to 2024 and international development secretary from 2010 to 2012 — told MPs that he couldn’t imagine what former U.K. prime ministers such as Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, and Teresa May would have thought of the U.K.’s newly “emasculated” development budget.
“To see this step being taken, particularly by a Labour government, I’m absolutely horrified,” he said. “We had those four prime ministers in a period of time where British development policy led the world. Britain was a development superpower, and we saw the fastest decline in international poverty in human history. For a Labour government to turn its back on all that and cut in this way, I thought was completely extraordinary.”
About the author
Susannah Birkwood
Susannah Birkwood is a Devex contributing reporter focusing on U.K. aid policy and international development. She has reported on foreign aid budgets, peacebuilding, and the politics of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, drawing on more than 16 years of experience across newsrooms and NGO press offices. She has overseen major media campaigns for international NGOs, including WWF, ActionAid, and Plan International, and has advised a wide range of charities and INGOs on media strategy and press outreach.
