There are moments in history when everything turns, but the
extent of change is not perceived until later when the fog has
cleared. These are hinge points that require clear leadership and
bold action. In the late 1940s, my [political content
redacted] predecessor and hero Ernie Bevin, alongside Clement
Attlee, saw through the fog when they led Britain into Nato and
the UN, and secured the development of Britain's nuclear
deterrent.
In the 1960s, Harold Wilson saw through the paranoia of the cold
war, refusing Lyndon Johnson's request to send British troops to
Vietnam. In the 1990s, understood that unless we
stopped the president of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, there would
be no peace in the Balkans.
Three years into Vladimir Putin's brutal war, this is again a
hinge point for Britain. Keir Starmer's commitment to
dramatically raise defence spending in both this and the next
parliament shows his leadership through the fog. Putin's Russia
is a threat not only to Ukraine and its neighbours, but to all of
Europe, including the UK.
Over successive administrations, our closest ally, the US, has
turned increasingly towards the Indo-Pacific, and it is
understandably calling for Nato's European members to shoulder
more of the burden for our continent's security. Around the
world, the threats are multiplying: from traditional warfare to
hybrid threats and cyber-attacks.
The first duty and foundation of this government's Plan for
Change is our national security. Seven months ago, the public
gave us this responsibility, and we hold it with a profound sense
of duty. [political content redacted] We will deliver the biggest
sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war
(political content redacted).
So we will hit our 2.5% promise in
2027 and, subject to economic conditions, go further, with
defence spending rising to 3% during the next parliament. This is
a pledge to safeguard our future – and act as a pillar of
security on our continent –in a world plagued by more active
conflicts than at any time since the second world war.
To make this commitment, and stick within our fiscal rules, we
have had to make the extremely difficult decision to lower our
spending on international development. As the Prime Minister
said, we do not pretend any of this is easy.
This is a hard choice that no government (political content
redacted)makes lightly. I am proud of our record on international
development. It helps address global challenges from health to
migration, contributes to prosperity, and supports the world's
most vulnerable people.
It grows both our soft power and our geopolitical clout, while
improving lives. For all of those reasons, this government
remains committed to reverting spending on overseas aid to 0.7%
of gross national income when the fiscal conditions allow.
But we are a government of pragmatists not ideologues – and we
have had to balance the compassion of our internationalism with
the necessity of our national security.
As we reduce the overseas aid budget, we will protect the most
vital programmes in the world's worst conflict zones
of Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. But there can be no hiding from
the fact that many programmes doing vital work will have to be
put on hold. The work of making further tough choices about
programmes will proceed at pace over the weeks and months ahead,
but our core priorities will remain the same.
My vision for a reformed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development
Office fit for this more contested and dangerous world, in which
diplomacy is more important than ever, remains paramount. We are
working closely with the Treasury to ensure our diplomatic,
intelligence and development footprint will align with our
priorities. In a tough fiscal environment, all our spending must
be laser-focused on delivering the maximum possible impacts for
our national security and growth, equipping the FCDO to deliver
the government's plan for change internationally.
At the height of the cold war, defence spending fluctuated
between about 4% and 7% of GDP. At this moment of fiscal and
geopolitical flux, not meeting the moment on defence would mean
leaving Britain ill-prepared for a more dangerous world,
potentially requiring even tougher choices down the line.
I have written previously about this government's foreign policy
being founded on progressive realism. Being clear about our
values, but treating the world as it is, not as we would wish it
to be. These are the principles that guide our choices through
these dangerous times. We will always do what is necessary to
keep the public safe.
This article was first published in The
Guardian on 25 February 2025.
