Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced plans to drastically cut the international aid budget that tackles poverty and inequality to fund an increase in military spending.

There’s no getting away from the devastating impact. More children without teachers. More pregnant women without midwives. More people worldwide facing hunger and poverty.

This isn’t the first time the aid budget has been cut by Governments in recent years. It was enshrined in law that the UK would spend 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on international aid. And despite Labour’s election promises to reverse these cuts, they are now cutting it further from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI by 2027.

The Government says aid cuts are needed to spend more on the military to improve our national security. But cutting the aid budget makes the world less safe. International aid helps prevent conflict, saves lives and responds to the needs of people facing the harshest and most frightening of living conditions. What we’re seeing is short-term thinking that ignores the UK’s international responsibility to provide humanitarian relief.

This isn’t a “difficult decision”. It is a political choice.

There are many fairer ways Keir Starmer could fund more spending on defence. One would be a 2% tax on those with wealth worth £10 million or more. He could raise £24 billion per year, which would provide much more revenue than cutting the aid budget.

Please stand in solidarity with people around the world now. Join us and write to your MP calling on them to pressure Keir Starmer to reverse these devastating cuts immediately.