UK Minister Resigns Due to Cuts in Overseas Aid to Finance Defence Spending

The UK’s development minister, Anneliese Dodds, resigned from the Labour government on Friday after reductions were made in overseas aid to increase defence spending.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer embarked on raising the UK’s defence budget to 2.5% of the economy by 2027, but this was done by cutting the overseas aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP.

Dodds was dismayed, saying in a letter posted on social media that cuts of this kind would deny people in desperate need food and medical care. She had hoped for more discussion on how to fund defence without making cuts to poor people who are in need.