Defence or aid, or defence and aid? Both are necessary for national security

Abstract

The Labour government has announced plans to further reduce international development assistance and increase the UK’s defence spending. Kent Buse and Martin McKee ask, where is the logic in this? The phrase “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” is often attributed, probably incorrectly, to Oscar Wilde (it was certainly used by an English cleric some decades earlier).1 Regardless of who came up with it, if Wilde were still alive he might have coined an equally clever and caustic turn of phrase about the relationship between Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, and Donald Trump, US president. No sooner had Trump announced “liberation day,” imposing a raft of increased tariffs on countries including the UK, Starmer moved rapidly to secure a non-binding “deal” that would alleviate some of the consequences. The online press conference at which it was announced, with much mutual congratulation, confirmed the closeness of the two leaders.2 This has also become apparent as Starmer has adopted many aspects of Trump’s rhetoric on other topics, such as immigration, or imposed severe cuts to spending on aid. This policy mimicry will have devastating consequences, not just for millions of people dependent on UK aid but also for Britain’s standing in the world. The need to invest in defence has been …