LONDON

The British international development minister has resigned following the government's announcement to cut aid budget to pay for an increase in defense spending.

"It is with sadness that I write to inform you that I will cease attending your Cabinet, and am tendering to you my resignation as your Minister of State for International Development and for Women and Equalities," Anneliese Dodds said in a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday.

The 48-year-old Labour politician said the effect of the cut in the international aid budget by 0.3% "will be far greater than presented."

"While I disagree with the ODA (overseas development assistance) decision, I continue to support the government and its determination to deliver the change our country needs," she said.

The resignation came after Starmer’s decision to slash the international aid budget by almost half to pay for an increase in defense spending.

Earlier this week, the government announced defense spending to increase to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next parliament.

The decision came as Donald Trump, who is working closely with Russia to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine, has pushed allies to increase their defense expenditure. The British premier met the US president at the White House on Thursday.  

'Effect will be far greater than presented'

Dodds said she believed Starmer was right to increase defense spending as the postwar global order has undoubtedly "come crashing down."

She admitted that there are no "easy paths" to increase defense spending and had been prepared for some cuts to the aid budget in order to pay for the increase.

Reminding that Starmer maintained that he wants to continue support for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, however, she said it will be "impossible" to do it.

"Yet it will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cut; the effect will be far greater than presented, even if assumptions made about reducing asylum costs hold true," Dodds added.

She said the cut will also likely lead to a UK pull-out from numerous African, Caribbean and Western Balkan nations, "at a time when Russia has been aggressively increasing its global presence."

"Ultimately, these cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people - deeply harming the UK's reputation. I know you have been clear that you are not ideologically," the minister said.

Dodds said the move is already being portrayed as "following in (US) President (Donald) Trump's slipstream of cuts to USAID."