London Daily

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

Theresa May: PM's foreign aid cut damaged UK's moral leadership, says successor

Theresa May: PM's foreign aid cut damaged UK's moral leadership, says successor

Theresa May has accused her successor Boris Johnson of "abandoning" the UK's moral leadership on the world stage.

The ex-prime minister said Mr Johnson's decision to cut the overseas aid budget below 0.7% of national income had reduced the UK's global "credibility".

She told the Daily Mail the UK had to "live up to its values" and would be judged by its actions not its rhetoric.

The PM, meanwhile, has said he is looking forward to working "hand in hand" with new US President Joe Biden.

Mr Biden will be inaugurated as the country's 46th president on Wednesday, succeeding Donald Trump.

In advance of the historic day, Mr Johnson said he hoped the UK and US would join forces to address the most pressing challenges facing the world, which could only be tackled by "international co-operation".

But the PM's own record has come in for criticism from his predecessor as prime minister.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mrs May suggested the PM had squandered international goodwill by choosing not to meet the longstanding UN target of spending 0.7% of income on helping the poorest people on the planet.

The government says it cannot meet the figure this year because of the strain placed on the public finances by the pandemic and the billions spent on financial support.

But Mrs May said the UK's support for the 0.7% target, which is enshrined into UK law, and the commitment to also spend a minimum of 2% of income on defence set it apart from other nations.

'What we do'


She also criticised Boris Johnson's support for legislation which would have called into question the UK's commitment to uphold its legally-binding Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, had it been passed.

While controversial clauses were ultimately removed from the Internal Market Bill in December, after the UK and EU reached an agreement, Mr Johnson's threat to break international law caused considerable disquiet on the continent and in the US - where it led to warnings from Mr Biden against imperilling peace in Northern Ireland.


Mrs May said more compromise was needed in the UK's post-Brexit relationships
Mrs May suggested the end of the Trump presidency could be a catalyst for a change in world politics

Mrs May said the UK was "well placed to play a decisive role in shaping this more co-operative world but to lead we must live up to our values".

"Threatening to break international law by going back on a treaty we had just signed and abandoning our position of global moral leadership as the only major economy to meet both the 2% defence spending target and the 0.7% international aid target were not actions which, in my view, raised our credibility in the eyes of the world.

"Other countries listen to what we say not simply because of who we are, but because of what we do. The world does not owe us a prominent place on its stage.

"Whatever the rhetoric we deploy, it is our actions which count. So, we should do nothing which signals a retreat from our global commitments."

Absolutism warning


Mrs May, who had a difficult relationship with Mr Trump, said Mr Biden's election presented the UK with a "golden opportunity" for Western democracies to reverse the trend towards "absolutism" in global affairs.

If the world was to bounce back from the pandemic, she said a spirit of compromise was needed and the era of a "few strongmen facing off against each other" had to come to an end.

2021 is seen as a pivotal year for the UK as it seeks to build its post-Brexit identity and deliver on the government's ambition of a "Global Britain" leading the world.

Mr Johnson, who will be centre stage as the UK holds the presidency of the G7 and hosts the Cop-26 UN climate summit in Glasgow, said he looked forward to welcoming Mr Biden to the UK at least twice this year.

"In our fight against Covid and across climate change, defence, security, and in promoting and defending democracy, our goals are the same and our nations will work hand in hand to achieve them," he added.

"Only through international co-operation can we truly overcome the shared challenges we face."

No 10 has declined to comment on Mrs May's comments.

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
×