The Conservative Party’s announcement this week that it would cut £47bn from public spending over the next parliament – including a proposal to slash overseas development aid to just 0.1 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) – marks a new low point for Britain’s global ambitions.
Presented as a measure of fiscal responsibility, such a move would instead deepen the UK’s retreat from the world. It would further weaken one of the few instruments Britain has left to project influence, build partnerships, and safeguard its long-term interests abroad.
