I guess you didn’t Keir In a move that left members of the United Kingdom Parliament reeling, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to *slash U.K. aid spending to 0.3% of national income* — breaking a key manifesto promise. Why? To fund a bigger defense budget <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnbqwlhn17dBagTzE9TFr5kdXVZkUAPqvGzNMDG4ORb_YwltPPtyJx1wzzCu0QbIo0yWH94GNoNzKlPeSQZegxtUe0eqrn4fb_yk_mpoy-p_UIpGRtQ5gYXjmf06Xe7-h0k7x9ALA6_KxGTM2lfCD_v3l_LwxhRuapzxlpD9bYeu74K4gDfIFEO5PlsbR003kvrlXt6tgtkimntrJv_1P6P3VvYt24-n2dHhw==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEKdQlIdJJi16PDd6oEG_yvTo-H4uh6vyTigPJZgZv1nnLRVRZcr8ono1hIvpc5q4lKg=> and prove to Trump that the nation is serious about standing up to Russia. The plan: Aid spending will drop in 2027, *just as defense funding jumps to 2.5%* — with a long-term goal of hitting 3%. In Starmer’s words, “hard choices” had to be made, even if it wasn’t a decision he “wanted to take or that I’m happy to take.” But critics aren’t buying it. NGOs, members of Parliament, and aid groups are *calling it reckless, short-sighted, and a betrayal*, warning it will hurt the world’s most vulnerable, damage the U.K.’s global reputation, and even weaken national security. Some of the strongest reactions: - Global Justice Now <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEGUv7vQUk60WVhPCBFHlsJ33hIG0mqYQvyRlW0BBaYJI2BEGvUOg7FQIWbGoRC7TFzY=>: “A day of shame for Britain.” - Save the Children UK <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEIlfYt3WUpiLzz6wdFlEPHlX_k-2U2yO8LDdY4DRsXDrD5Gj2_Y8oqsWOdfcWbFPdMQ=>: “A betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children.” - Bond <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eERCDWmJgEKnLuPR3WgjMjzBuxPbPAZehvDpdpq4nD15j6kjSMI4o8YNfMBKLllmmmJM=> network CEO Romilly Greenhill: “A reckless decision that will have devastating consequences.” Even U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy had previously called similar aid cuts *“a big strategic mistake”* — yet now, the U.K. is following Washington’s lead, writes my colleague Rob Merrick. What’s next? *Parliament will need to approve the rollback* of the U.K.’s legal 0.7% of GNI aid commitment, setting up a major political showdown. And with backlash mounting, Starmer may soon find himself facing more “hard choices” than he bargained for. *Read:* UK will slash billions in aid spending to fund larger military <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkUJbvhdB-rcJAedzEdXIbTS49vf-cnbqwlhn17dBagTzE9TFr5kdXVZkUAPqvGzNMDG4ORb_YwltPPtyJx1wzzCu0QbIo0yWH94GNoNzKlPeSQZegxtUe0eqrn4fb_yk_mpoy-p_UIpGRtQ5gYXjmf06Xe7-h0k7x9ALA6_KxGTM2lfCD_v3l_LwxhRuapzxlpD9bYeu74K4gDfIFEO5PlsbR003kvrlXt6tgtkimntjqMB0VRpDGCwaZRFfAa0bw==/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGY4R5eEKdQlIdJJi16PDd6oEG_yvTo-H4uh6vyTigPJZgZv1nnLRVRZcr8ono1hIvpc5q4lKg=>