Keir Starmer has humiliated David Lammy with his new defence spending plans, after announcing they will be funded by a major cut to overseas aid.
Mr Lammy only found out about the Prime Minister’s choice shortly before he told the Cabinet and the Commons yesterday.
It’s a major embarrassment for the Foreign Secretary, who since 2020 has also been in charge of foreign aid.
As well as being “bounced” into backing the PM’s decision without a say on the matter, Mr Lammy recently blasted over the exact same policy.
Asked about President Trump’s plan to slash the US foreign aid budget two weeks ago, Mr Lammy was emphatic.
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Mr Lammy was only told hours before the PM told the Cabinet (Image: Getty)
He told the Guardian: “What I can say to American friends is it’s widely accepted that the decision by the UK with very little preparation to close down the department for international development, to suspend funding in the short term or give many global partners little heads-up, was a big strategic mistake.”
“We have spent years unravelling that strategic mistake. Development remains a very important soft power tool. And in the absence of development… I would be very worried that China and others step into that gap.”
Mr Lammy also cited his previous attack on ’s government, who caused a storm in 2021 when cutting the foreign aid budget from 0.7% of GDP to 0.5%.
In furious tweets at the time, Mr Lammy condemned the ’ “mean-spirited, Trumpian decision to cut foreign aid”, warning it would “cost lives”.
He added: “This is a huge moral failure and it leaves Britain’s global reputation in tatters.”
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David Lammy slammed Donald Trump’s similar cuts to foreign aid (Image: Getty)
Four days later, in June 2021, he added that Mr Johnson’s cut to foreign aid was “morally bankrupt”, and six days after that he called it a “shameful dereliction of duty”.
In September he repeated his furious attacks, warning that “will forever be remembered as the Prime Minister who forced Britain to abandon its role on the world stage.”
This morning the Foreign Secretary has been forced to write an op-ed claiming he still believes in international aid, but the government’s decision will “keep Britain safe”.
He begrudgingly describes it as a “hard choice”, and insists that the government “remains committed to reverting spending on overseas aid to 0.7% of gross national income when the fiscal conditions allow.”
Labour’s manifesto at last year’s general election also promised to return foreign aid back to 0.7% of GDP.
This morning the Guardian reports that Cabinet ministers voiced concern over the plan, after it was revealed to them by the PM in yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
Shortly after he told the Commons, Labour MP and chair of the foreign aid committee Sarah Champion warned the decision will “make the world less stable.”