Keir Starmer has been accused of hypocrisy after cutting funding to the UN World Food Program by a third while pledging to tackle “suffering and hunger”.
Cutting UK funding to the World Food Program (WFP) from $610m (£448m) in 2024 to $435m last year is part of a wider cut in aid spending that campaigners say is putting lives at risk.
On top of the WFP cuts, the government failed to make any financial pledges despite holding a two-day conference last year on hunger and malnutrition in Afghanistan.
A government spokesman said the UK remained the fifth largest donor to the WFP.
Peer Michael Bates, a former Conservative minister of state, said ministers were cutting funding because hunger cases were rising “drastically”.
He said: “If it’s just a UK story, that’s too bad, but we see it’s a French story, it’s a German story and it’s a US story.
“All these countries are cutting corners. It will take time, but it will cost lives. We have a responsibility to save these lives.”
Bates said it was “hypocritical” to talk about government spending cuts and the need for action in an area where the UK is a global leader.
The UK has committed to spending 0.7% of gross national income on development in 2015, in line with the UN target. The Conservative government reduced that commitment to 0.5%.
After entering government, Starmer told the G20 summit in Brazil that his administration would prioritize “the fight against hunger” and address “suffering and hunger.”
But last year, Starmer announced that aid spending would be reduced to 0.3% of GDP by 2027, while increasing defense spending to 2.5% of GDP.
The pivot by the government comes amid a global sea change towards aid spending.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development projects that total global aid will decline by 9% in 2024 and by between 9% and 17% in 2025.
The decision to use part of the aid budget on asylum seekers already in the UK has further reduced UK spending on global humanitarian causes.
The Home Office expects to spend £2.2bn of overseas development aid on hotel bills alone this financial year.
A government spokesman said: “While we have made the difficult decision to cut our aid budget to spend more on defense and security, our funding for humanitarian support, including hunger, has been relatively protected and we recognize how important food aid is to those in need.
“The UK is the fifth largest donor to WFP and is a key partner.
“In October, the Prime Minister announced a further £20m of UK aid to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene services reach tens of thousands of citizens across Gaza. This is in addition to the £74m we have already pledged.”
