Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Johnson under fire for cutting aid while boosting nuclear arsenal

Johnson under fire for cutting aid while boosting nuclear arsenal

Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted the UK was still spending ‘absolutely colossal’ amounts on aid.

Boris Johnson has been condemned for cutting aid spending while allowing the UK’s nuclear arsenal to increase.

The Prime Minister’s foreign policy review committed to returning to the target of spending 0.7% of gross national income on aid when the public finances allow but did not give a firm date.

At the same time, the Integrated Review of Security, Defence Development and Foreign Policy increased the number of nuclear warheads the UK may possess to 260. It had been due to fall to a maximum of 180 by the middle of the decade.


The 0.7% commitment was abandoned in November, with the UK spending 0.5% of its income on aid in 2021.

Oxfam GB’s chief executive Danny Sriskandarajah said: “Increasing the size of the UK’s nuclear stockpile while arguing that we can’t afford to meet our promises to the world’s poorest shows the Government has got its priorities badly wrong.

“It is exactly the wrong way to project global Britain on the world stage.”

Romilly Greenhill, the UK director of anti-poverty campaign One, said: “This review says one thing, while the Government does another. How do they expect to achieve the tilt to the Indo-Pacific while implementing severe aid cuts that will impact many countries in that region?

“The biggest threats facing our country right now are virulent diseases, climate change, injustice and instability, but we’re fighting yesterday’s battles by finding money for warheads.”


In the Commons Tory former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell suggested Mr Johnson’s position as chairman of the G7 group of nations is “undermined” because the UK was the only country cutting its development budget “in breach of our clear party manifesto commitment” to meet the 0.7% legal target.

The Prime Minister insisted the UK was making “absolutely colossal” aid investments.

He suggested the UK was entitled to miss the 0.7% target due to the “exceptional circumstances” of the coronavirus pandemic, which could mean that there will not have to be a vote to change the law – sparing the Prime Minister from a potential Commons revolt.

Tory MP Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) said the Government was “balancing the books on the backs of the poor”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “If global Britain is to mean anything, it cannot mean selling arms to Saudi Arabia and cutting aid to Yemen.”

The Integrated Review said: “The UK will remain a world leader in international development and we will return to our commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on development when the fiscal situation allows.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×