Burnham Weighs UK Aid Strategy After Cuts to 0.3% of GNI
Updated
Updated · LBC · Jul 17
Burnham Weighs UK Aid Strategy After Cuts to 0.3% of GNI
3 articles · Updated · LBC · Jul 17
Summary
Andy Burnham is set to make an early foreign-policy call on whether UK aid should be reshaped around national interest rather than restored toward past spending targets.
0.3% of GNI is now the benchmark after Labour cut aid again last year, down from 0.5% in 2021 and the former 0.7% target once written into law.
The case for a strategic reset rests on tighter budgets and criticism that some UK-funded projects show little direct benefit, making aid politically vulnerable even as selective programmes still support security, health and migration goals.
23.1% was the global drop in aid between 2024 and 2025, underscoring a wider retreat as Britain debates whether future spending should be judged by outcomes rather than headline percentages.