British Minister for International Development Anneliese Dodds resigned on Friday in response to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to cut the foreign aid budget to increase defense spending.

Her resignation came a day after Starmer met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where they discussed a trade agreement and the war in Ukraine.

Days earlier, Starmer pledged to increase the UK's defense spending to 2.5% of the GDP by 2027 but directed that the overseas development budget be reduced from 0.5% to 0.3% of the gross national income to fund the increase. 

In a surprise announcement to the Commons, Starmer declared that Britain would “fight for peace in Europe” by committing to a generational increase in defence spending.

The decision drew strong criticism from humanitarian organizations, which warned it would damage Britain’s global influence and have severe consequences for vulnerable populations.  

On Friday, the government appointed Jenny Chapman, a member of the upper house of Parliament, as the new Minister for International Development.  

In her resignation letter to Starmer, Dodds warned that the scale of the cuts would undermine Britain’s development priorities, including aid to Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, as well as climate change and vaccination programs.

"It will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cuts," Dodds warned, adding that the reduction in funding would likely force the UK to withdraw from multiple nations across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Western Balkans.

"Ultimately, these cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people - deeply harming the UK's reputation," she wrote in the letter, which she shared on X.

Dodds noted that she had decided to resign before Starmer’s Washington trip but delayed the announcement to avoid overshadowing it.

"I know you have been clear that you are not ideologically opposed to international development. But the reality is that this decision is already being portrayed as following in President Trump's slipstream of cuts to USAID," she said, referring to the US administration’s recent pause on all foreign development assistance.

Starmer responds

Starmer, in a letter published by his office, thanked Dodds for her service but defended his decision.  

"The decision I have taken on the impact on ODA (Official Development Assistance) was a difficult and painful decision and not one I take lightly. We will do everything we can to return to a world where that is not the case and to rebuild a capability on development," he wrote.

"However, protecting our national security must always be the first duty of any government."

Starmer sought to reassure Dodds, stating that his government would "continue to protect vital programmes, including in the world's worst conflict zones."

Britain remains the world's fifth-largest donor of international aid, providing over $19 billion in 2023, according to OECD data. The United States leads global contributions, followed by Germany, European Union institutions, and Japan.

Earlier this month, Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that the US decision to cut aid funding could be a "big strategic mistake," potentially allowing China to expand its global influence by filling the void. Starmer has faced criticism for aligning too closely with the US president.

Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army, echoed concerns over the move, calling the foreign aid cuts a "strategic mistake" that could ultimately increase the burden on the UK’s armed forces and risk making the country "weaker not stronger."

As international development minister, Dodds oversaw UK humanitarian programs worldwide, from providing food, water, and shelter to those fleeing conflict in Sudan to supporting girls' education programs in Pakistan.  

In her letter, Dodds, 46, acknowledged the need to boost defense spending but expressed disappointment that the aid budget had borne the "entire burden" of the decision.

Dodds had worked closely with Starmer since he became Labour Party leader five years ago. She previously served as his chief spokesperson on the economy for over a year but was reassigned in 2021 due to concerns over her effectiveness in communicating the party's vision.

Dodds is the fourth minister to leave Starmer's cabinet since the Labour Party's landslide victory in last year's elections, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Earlier this month, Starmer dismissed junior Health Minister Andrew Gwynne over allegations of anti-Semitic, racist, and sexist remarks in a WhatsApp chat.

In January, Anti-Corruption minister Tulip Siddiq resigned after being named in corruption investigations in Bangladesh.

In November, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh stepped down following revelations that she had pleaded guilty to a criminal offense before becoming a member of Parliament.

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