London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Johnson under fire for cutting aid while boosting nuclear arsenal

Johnson under fire for cutting aid while boosting nuclear arsenal

Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted the UK was still spending ‘absolutely colossal’ amounts on aid.

Boris Johnson has been condemned for cutting aid spending while allowing the UK’s nuclear arsenal to increase.

The Prime Minister’s foreign policy review committed to returning to the target of spending 0.7% of gross national income on aid when the public finances allow but did not give a firm date.

At the same time, the Integrated Review of Security, Defence Development and Foreign Policy increased the number of nuclear warheads the UK may possess to 260. It had been due to fall to a maximum of 180 by the middle of the decade.


The 0.7% commitment was abandoned in November, with the UK spending 0.5% of its income on aid in 2021.

Oxfam GB’s chief executive Danny Sriskandarajah said: “Increasing the size of the UK’s nuclear stockpile while arguing that we can’t afford to meet our promises to the world’s poorest shows the Government has got its priorities badly wrong.

“It is exactly the wrong way to project global Britain on the world stage.”

Romilly Greenhill, the UK director of anti-poverty campaign One, said: “This review says one thing, while the Government does another. How do they expect to achieve the tilt to the Indo-Pacific while implementing severe aid cuts that will impact many countries in that region?

“The biggest threats facing our country right now are virulent diseases, climate change, injustice and instability, but we’re fighting yesterday’s battles by finding money for warheads.”


In the Commons Tory former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell suggested Mr Johnson’s position as chairman of the G7 group of nations is “undermined” because the UK was the only country cutting its development budget “in breach of our clear party manifesto commitment” to meet the 0.7% legal target.

The Prime Minister insisted the UK was making “absolutely colossal” aid investments.

He suggested the UK was entitled to miss the 0.7% target due to the “exceptional circumstances” of the coronavirus pandemic, which could mean that there will not have to be a vote to change the law – sparing the Prime Minister from a potential Commons revolt.

Tory MP Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) said the Government was “balancing the books on the backs of the poor”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “If global Britain is to mean anything, it cannot mean selling arms to Saudi Arabia and cutting aid to Yemen.”

The Integrated Review said: “The UK will remain a world leader in international development and we will return to our commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on development when the fiscal situation allows.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×