TL;DR: Labour cut the UK’s foreign aid spending to its lowest ever level this week, sparking serious funding concerns for many international aid groups, including major LGBTQIA+ support organisations. It came just ahead of Starmer’s first visit to meet President Trump since his re-election, and has seen the UK government accused of following in Trump’s footsteps.
In a departure from Labour’s manifesto promises, Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Tuesday to cut the UK’s foreign aid and development spending to its lowest ever level, in order to commit billions more to the defence budget by 2027 - BBC
This week, the new US administration started to make good on its own promise to drastically cut foreign aid spending, announcing that 90% of the US Agency for International Development’s contracts would be cut. In an open letter to Starmer, 138 international aid organisations described the UK government’s move as “following in the US’s footsteps”, saying it was accepting a “false choice” by juxtaposing foreign aid with defense spending - Open Letter
LGBTQIA+ support and advocacy organisations have also spoken out about the move, describing severe concerns for their funding as a result of the US and UK government’s aid budget cuts - Stonewall
The move has raised concerns among some Labour Ministers and MPs. International Development Minister Annelise Dodds quit the cabinet on Friday, citing the cuts as the reason for her departure - Guardian
How will this affect LGBTQIA+ support organisations?
The signatories of the open letter, published Thursday, included two AIDS prevention organisations. HIV/AIDS support and prevention is one of the sectors that is expected to be seriously affected by changes to US aid policy, and FrontlineAIDS warned that the UK’s move could have “a devastating impact on the fight against AIDS” - FrontlineAIDS
Organisations campaigning for LGBTQIA+ rights are also under threat. Kaleidoscope Trust fights against anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation around the world. Speaking to QueerAF, the Trust’s CEO Alex Farrow said:
"This is hard news for the world's most marginalised communities to swallow, given the onslaught they have faced over the past few years. We will continue our advocacy efforts to increase funding and will continue to collaborate with our donor governments to efficiently deploy resources and safeguard the global LGBTI+ community where we can."
Analysis: More than just figures
Shortly after announcing the budget changes, Starmer embarked on a visit to the US to meet President Trump for the first time since he was elected Prime Minister - BBC
This week, the US State Department began implementing visa restrictions that may result in banning trans people from entering the country.
This week, thousands of US government workers tasked with providing support to marginalised communities across the world cleared their desks, as their jobs disappeared overnight.
And this week, our Prime Minister greeted the man responsible for these attacks on LGBTQIA+ lives with a smile, a pat on the back, and a letter from the King.
We don’t yet know exactly what the consequences of the cuts to aid budgets will be for LGBTQIA+ organisations and communities, but the timing of this announcement and Starmer’s priorities during his discussions with Trump can tell us a lot about his attitude to our lives.
Media focus has mostly been on whether Starmer’s charm could unlock a tariff-free trade deal with the US. But Starmer shaking hands with Trump is about more than money. It shows Starmer’s tacit approval for the extreme discriminatory policies Trump’s government is enacting.
Commenting on the changes to the aid and defence budgets, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told the press that “the number one responsibility of any government is to keep its citizens safe”.
Words are one thing. Starmer’s actions this week are another. They suggest that his real priority is defending the geopolitical interests of his nation, without care for the safety of marginalised or vulnerable people at home or abroad.
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