The below motion comes from Manchester Liberal Democrats and calls for the Labour Government’s recent decision to cut Britain’s overseas aid budget by over half.
The Liberal Democrats tied our International Aid Budget to 0.7% of our GDP when in Government in the early 2010’s. The increase has helped millions of people across the world with aid, protection and medicine.
The Lib Dems have led calls for our Defence Budget to increase given Donald Trump’s abandonment of Ukraine. However we would fund it through a tax of tech giants and social media giants – rather than raid our international development budget.
This motion calls on the Government to do the right thing and restore our international aid budget to 0.7% of GDP.
Council is proud that [AREA NAME] is a diverse area made up of residents whose backgrounds that range from local to across the UK, but also from nations across the world.
Council notes that [AREA NAME] and the UK have a proud tradition of welcoming visitors and workers from across the world as well as welcoming those fleeing war, violence and oppression, including many local people opening up their homes to Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Council therefore notes with concern the decision by the Labour Government to introduce the largest cuts to the UK overseas aid in history to only 0.3% of GDP, a loss of around £5.5 billion.
This will result in far fewer resources for our humanitarian responses to disasters and emergencies around the world. Years of progress and peacebuilding in areas of historic conflict are under threat of being reversed. Communities who are still rebuilding after natural disasters will be more vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis in the future. These cuts will have a global impact across many countries and affecting critical sectors like humanitarian response, climate resilience, education, health, and violence prevention.
Council recognises that the Government has taken the decision to cut international aid in order to increase defence spending, following the decision by the United States to stop support to Ukraine, but believes that cutting funding to international aid is a false economy. Council further recognises that spending aid on humanitarian responses, climate resilience, education, health and violence prevention saves lives, and helps countries to get back on their feet, and reduces the displacement of people seeking a new life.
Council resolves to instruct the Chief Executive to write to the Prime Minister to urge him to reconsider cutting the international aid Budget, pointing out that it will result in further instability and violence around the world, and more people leaving their homes to find and safe a secure place to live.