British premier responds to minister Dodds’ resignation, defends aid cuts

LONDON 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday responded to Anneliese Dodds’ resignation letter from her position as minister, defending the controversial decision to cut the country’s aid spending in order to boost defense budgets.

Dodds, who served as the Minister of State for International Development and Women and Equalities, resigned after the government announced reductions in aid spending to allocate more funds for defense.

In his response, released by Downing Street, Starmer expressed regret at Dodds’ departure but also stood firm on the decision, emphasizing that “protecting our national security must always be the first duty of any government.”

While he acknowledged the impact of the aid cuts, Starmer made it clear that national security priorities have to take precedence.

He also took the opportunity to praise Dodds’ work as a minister, describing her contributions as valuable.

“I know you will have more to contribute in the future,” he added, implying that a potential return to government could be on the horizon for Dodds.

Her decision came in response to the government’s announcement to make cuts to the foreign aid budget as part of a broader shift in defense spending priorities.

The cuts have been met with significant criticism from various corners, with opposition politicians and aid organizations arguing that slashing the aid budget would hurt some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

However, Starmer’s government maintains that the country’s defense needs must be the top priority amid growing global security concerns.

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 its 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 its GDP by 2027, with the savings redirected to support defense investments.

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