Donald Trump’s race to the bottom on international development has an energetic new entrant in the form of Keir Starmer. The prime minister has raided the UK aid budget, in a move that would have embarrassed some of his recent predecessors, so he can commit to increasing defence spending ahead of his White House meeting. It is now some of the world’s most defenceless people who will pay for the UK’s defence.
As if to underscore the extent to which the US president has turned the established order on its head, we were treated to the strange sight of the prime minister being applauded by the leader of the opposition, while Reform complained noisily about Labour stealing their flagship policies.
