Water Witness response to pm’s announcement of aid cuts
Water Witness comment 26/02/2025
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement of major cuts to the aid budget to boost defence spending [1], Water Witness Director of Public and Political Engagement, Lexi Parfitt, said:
“Today’s announcement from the Prime Minister to cut the aid budget to boost the defence budget is robbing Peter to pay Paul in the worst possible way. Aid and development spending is a way to build peace, and a way to repair the damage caused by war. Investing in aid builds decent lives, good health and education, jobs and secure livelihoods, food security and stability- it is one of the best long-term investments in peace that it is possible to make.
“This is a purely political decision, one which undermines this government’s stated commitment to building a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. It is a betrayal of the world’s poor, a u-turn on a repeated promise to restore the aid budget, and a demonstration of a lack of understanding of basic political economy, and how aid and defence are inextricably linked.
“Public support for aid spending has never been higher. But the Prime Minister is asking us to live in a world where there is no money to ensure children have clean water, because we’re choosing to spend it on tanks. Shame on him.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/feb/25/starmer-planning-big-cuts-to-aid-budget-to-boost-defence-spending-say-sources Today [25th Feb 2025] the Prime Minister announced a cut to ODA from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI by 2027.
[2] Water Witness, established in 2009, is an Edinburgh-based NGO, leading action, research and advocacy for a fair water future, so that all people can access the water they need to thrive, and are protected against floods, drought, pollution, ecosystem degradation and water conflict. www.waterwitness.org
For any further information please contact Lexi Parfitt, Director of Public and Political Engagement lexiparfitt@waterwitness.org.uk 07833 554 360