The rhetorical power of aid for trade: UK aid in the age of Brexit and COVID-19

Abstract

The UK is a global leader in Aid for Trade (AFT). Aid for Trade discourse frames it as a solution to development challenges and key to building trade relationships. This article examines the rhetorical value of this framing in pursuit of myriad interests amidst Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes to the UK's aid budget and administration. It is informed by data from government documents and interviews with AFT and aid experts. This study finds that AFT discourse is used to justify the UK's merging of diplomatic and development agendas and its new 'Global Britain' identity.