Keir Starmer is encountering significant dissent within Labour as MPs express outrage over the government's decision to slash the international development budget nearly in half to finance defense spending. With a parliamentary debate secured by Sarah Champion, Labour backbenchers, including Anneliese Dodds, are voicing their discontent and questioning the implications for Labour's policies under Chancellor Rachel Reeves' fiscal rules. The internal unrest comes amid concerns that essential aspects of Labour's agenda are being compromised, particularly as international aid cuts coincide with heightened global crises, raising questions about the party’s commitments and priorities.
One government source stated, "This is the real debate now. What will be left afterwards? With everything that is going on in the world, what will be left of the Labour programme?"
Sarah Champion emphasized the need for a debate on the aid cuts, asserting the importance of reconsidering the government's approach to international development given the current global context.
Anneliese Dodds, in her resignation letter, highlighted that discussions regarding adjustments to fiscal rules should have occurred before the decision to cut aid was made, revealing internal tensions.
Concerns mount among Labour MPs about sacrificing core policies to adhere to the fiscal rules set by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, particularly with defense spending taking priority.
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