Plans to cut budget for overseas aid slammed as 'tragic error'

SIR Keir Starmer’s plans to increase defence spending by cutting overseas aid will undermine Britain’s national security, a parliamentary committee has said.

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MPs raised concerns in a new report that slashing the development budget will “continue to lead to unrest and further crises in the future” and will have “devastating consequences” across the world.

The Commons’ International Development Committee (IDC) said hiking defence spending “at the expense of the world’s most vulnerable” would threaten not only the UK's soft power “but also its national security’.

In February, the Prime Minister unveiled plans to reduce aid spending to 0.3% of national income. The cut followed the previous government's move to slash the development budget to 0.5% of national income from 0.7%.