PBI-UK “stunned and disappointed” by UK Government’s decision to slash international aid to pay for increase in military spending

Published by Brent Patterson on February 26, 2025February 26, 2025

The CBC reports: “British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday [February 25] he would increase annual defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027 and target a three per cent level.”

“The increase would see Britain spending 13.4 billion pounds ($24.2 billion Cdn) more on defence every year from 2027. Britain’s Defence Ministry said it spent 53.9 billion pounds ($97.4 billion Cdn) in the 2023/24 financial year.”

That article adds: “With public spending already stretched in Britain, Starmer said the increase would be fully paid for by a 40 per cent cut to international aid… The international aid budget will be cut from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent in 2027.”

Reaction from PBI-UK

Peace Brigades International-United Kingdom has responded by stating:

“We are stunned and disappointed by the UK Government’s decision to slash aid in order to fund defence spending. Following in the wake of the USAID freeze, this decision will leave even more civil society organisations and human rights defenders exposed at a time of escalating global crises. Cutting UK aid means cutting support for the very initiatives that prevent conflicts, avert climate change, and help communities to live peacefully on their land, rather than have to flee. The decision to reduce spending to less than half of our legal obligations will also dent the UK’s global reputation.

PBI is one of many NGOs that has long called for the UK to adjust the way in which it supports global civil society, in order to ensure it is as effective as possible. A holistic approach is needed: one of effective funding, diplomatic support, and protection for human rights defenders at risk. This would represent a cost-effective approach to building a resilient, democratic world and – in turn – underpin the UK’s own growth and security.

We urge the Government to reconsider its decision and to develop a holistic approach with civil society at its core, so that UK aid and diplomacy can be as impactful as possible both now and in the future.”

PBI-UK director Ben Leather.

Canadian spending may be shifting too

The CBC article further notes: “With a defence budget of slightly more than $33 billion in 2024-25 and when spending on the Canadian Coast Guard and Veterans Affairs is added in, Canada hits roughly 1.37 per cent of GDP. Only a handful of countries have a lower percentage in the alliance, Spain and Belgium among them.”

Last month, the CBC also reported: “Facing U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism about military spending, Defence Minister Bill Blair says it’s ‘absolutely achievable’ for Canada to meet NATO’s military investment benchmark of two per cent of gross domestic product within two years. That accelerated timeline to hit the target by 2027 is about five years earlier than what prime minister Justin Trudeau announced in July.”

And earlier this month the CBC reported: “Liberal leadership contender Mark Carney [who is very likely to be the next Prime Minister of Canada after the March 9 leadership convention] says if he becomes prime minister, he would meet the NATO defence spending benchmark two years ahead of the Trudeau government’s official target.”

Just over two weeks ago, the Canadian Press reported: “A Conservative government would build a permanent military base in Nunavut and pay for it by ‘dramatically cutting’ Canada’s foreign aid budget, Leader Pierre Poilievre said Monday in Iqaluit. ‘One hundred per cent of the cost of the base will come from the foreign aid budget’, he said. ‘In fact, today’s announcement will actually reduce the deficit because I plan to cut foreign aid more than the full cost of the announcement that I’ve made today’, he said.”

That article also noted: “According to a parliamentary report tabled last year, Canada spent $15.5 billion on foreign aid in the 2022-23 fiscal year. …Poilievre criticized foreign aid spending, saying much of it goes to ‘dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies.’ …Poilievre did not offer a concrete estimate of the size of his proposed ‘massive’ cut to the foreign aid budget.”

CBC Poll Tracker now suggests there is a 75 percent probability the Poilievre Conservatives will form a majority government in Canada. That same poll says there is a 20 percent probability of the Conservatives winning the most seats but not a majority.

 The next federal election could come as soon as April-May of this year.

We continue to follow this.