In a letter to Starmer she posted on social media, Annellies Dodds resigned as Minister of International Development and Women’s Minister, saying there is “no easy path” to increase defense spending, but she opposed the decision to cut foreign aid, the Associated Press reported.
On Tuesday, the priority said that the government will raise UK defence spending from the current 2.3% to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2027, and that Europe is in a new era of unrest in need of a “generational response.”
This increase will be funded by reducing the aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of GDP. This is a decision that he said was “very difficult and painful.”
In her letter, Dodds said she supported the need for higher defensive spending and knew that the aid budget might have to pay part of that increase.
However, she said the scale of the cuts is so large that it “removes food and health care from hopeless people” and “deeply” harms the UK’s reputation.
“You insist on continuing support in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, for vaccinations; for the climate; and for the rules-based system,” said Dodds, who attended the Cabinet meeting.
“However, given the depth of the cut, it’s impossible to maintain these priorities. The effect is much greater than presented.”
The increase in defence spending has been heavily criticized by aid agencies, saying that it has hurt some of the world’s poorest people and reduced the UK’s soft power.
In her letter, Dodds said he was awaiting his resignation earlier this week when the aid budget was announced, as priorities “ordered” had a “unified cabinet” behind him.
rhm/