Labour had pledged to raise overseas aid from 0.5% of GDP (to which it was cut by the Tories) to 0.7%. Instead, Keir Starmer says, it will cut it to 0.3%, in a “lite” version of Donald Trump’s axing of USAid.

Starmer says this is to pay for increased military spending. In the first place, we want arms sent to Ukraine, but that does not necessarily mean more military spending.

In the second place, the government cannot in fact estimate future budget figures so accurately as within 0.2%.

In the third place, taking the money from aid is arbitrary. Large increases in tax on wealth and capital gains are needed anyway, for the NHS, for local councils, and for schools.

As John McDonnell says: “to cut spending on tackling famine & poverty in the poorest areas of the world will cost lives”.

According to Labour List, a JL Partners poll, conducted last September for the British Foreign Policy Group, found that only nine percent of Labour voters backed further cuts to the aid budget.