Anneliese Dodds has quit her role as international development minister over prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to slash the international aid budget to increase defence spending.
The Labour MP predicted in a letter to the prime minister that he would find it impossible to continue support for Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan given the severity of the cut to 0.3 per cent of GNI (gross national income).
She revealed she was only told of the decision on Monday, but held off resigning until he had returned from Washington, to ensure a united and successful visit to Donald Trump.
Earlier, health secretary Wes Streeting has stressed that the NHS was “not on the table” in any US trade deal.
The US president said he had “great discussions on trade” with Sir Keir and expressed confidence that a deal could be reached “rather quickly”.
“I think we’ll have two deals,” he said, “a deal on ending the war [in Ukraine] and a great trade deal with you [the UK]”.
But the prime minister failed to secure key concessions over Ukraine in critical White House talks.
Sir Keir opened his talks with Mr Trump with a charm offensive, delivering an unprecedented second royal invitation for a state visit, which the US president readily accepted.
Key Points
- Anneliese Dodds quits over Starmer slashing foreign aid budget
- Minister draws comparison to Trump decision to slash USAid
- Trump says 'terrific' trade deal with UK likely
- Streeting says NHS 'not up for grabs' in any US trade deal
- President dodges prime minister's plea for Ukraine security guarantees
- President indicates he will back Starmer's Chagos deal
Anneliese Dodds’s resignation is like Robin Cook’s – principled, but ultimately pointless
14:27
,
Holly Evans
When Keir Starmer announced the switch in spending from foreign aid to defence, the response from the Labour Party seemed surprisingly muted. Now we know why.
Anneliese Dodds, the international development minister, did not want to disrupt the prime minister’s visit to Donald Trump and was saving her resignation for afterwards.
Her loyalty to the prime minister, the government and the party resembles that of Robin Cook in 2003. He resigned as foreign secretary over the decision to join the US invasion of Iraq, but he did so respecting Tony Blair’s integrity, and very much more in sorrow than in anger – as resignations on matters of principle ought to be.
Dodds’s resignation letter says that she agrees that “we must increase defence spending”. In this, she differs from Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, who argued in The Independent yesterday that more spending on defence will make us less safe.
Read the full article here:
Starmer to discuss how to make peace ‘stick’ with Zelensky
14:15
,
Holly Evans
The Prime Minister is preparing to discuss how to guarantee a peace deal in Ukraine will last when he meets Volodymyr Zelensky in Downing Street this weekend.
Leaders from across Europe will gather in London on Sunday, following a week which will have seen Sir Keir, France’s Emmanuel Macron and the Ukrainian president travel for talks with US president Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian leader will follow Sir Keir in meeting with Mr Trump in Washington on Friday and finalising a deal that will give the US access to Ukraine’s earth minerals, which Downing Street has welcomed as it would “bind” Washington to Kyiv.
Ahead of Sunday’s summit focused on security, the Prime Minister will meet with Mr Zelensky separately.
A Downing Street spokesman said on Friday that “the UK has made it clear that we’ll play our full part in ensuring a just and lasting peace deal on Ukraine’s terms, backed up by strong security guarantees.
“Just this week we demonstrated our commitment to that confirming we’ll increase defence spending to 2.5% by 2027. But that peace deal has to come first and as you know the Prime Minister will meet President Zelensky before convening European leaders in London on Sunday to continue those discussions.
“The deal has to come first, but our teams are going to be talking about how we make sure that deal sticks and is lasting and enforced.”
Children's charity says Starmer decision will be 'catastrophic'
14:08
,
Holly Evans
Responding to the news of the resignation of Anneliese Dodds, Kathleen Spencer Chapman, Director of Influencing and External Affairs at children’s charity Plan International UK said: “We share Annelise Dodds’s extreme disappointment at the Prime Minister’s shortsighted decision to slash the overseas aid budget.
“Her resignation shows that the most influential politicians in the Labour Party echo our outrage at the Government’s decision to slash an already woefully cut overseas aid budget. Cutting international aid to the lowest level since 1999 does not have a consensus across Parliament.
“Overseas aid saves lives. The Prime Minister’s decision will be catastrophic for millions of people affected by conflict, hunger, poverty and violence, including in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine.
“At a time when humanitarian needs remain at an all-time high, the UK should be stepping up and showing its commitment to overseas aid. Instead, it is adding to the suffering.
“Plan International UK urgently calls on the Prime Minister to abandon this inhumane decision. Overseas aid saves children’s lives: the Government must reverse the cuts now.
“We would also like to thank the Minister for the commitment she showed to gender equality in both her Ministerial roles - we urge the government to continue to prioritise enhancing gender equality and protecting the rights of girls across the globe.”
Lib Dems back Dodds
13:50
The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for international development said Anneliese Dodds had done the right thing.
Monica Harding wrote on social media: "The Government's position on the international aid cut is unsustainable.
"Increasing defence spending to 2.5% is the right thing to do as the global threats we face intensify.
"But doing so by cutting the international aid budget is like taking off the roof to put up another wall. The Government haven't even carried out an impact assessment.”
'Impossible to maintain priorities': Dodds resigns – full report
13:46
,
Jane Dalton
Dodds' resignation letter in full
13:41
,
Jane Dalton
Read the letter to Sir Keir Starmer:
13:35
,
Jane Dalton
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch appears to have backed the Prime Minister's decision to cut overseas aid to fund a boost to defence spending following Anneliese Dodds's ministerial resignation.
In a social media post, Mrs Badenoch wrote: "I disagree with the PM on many things but on reducing the foreign aid budget to fund UK defence? He's absolutely right.
"He may not be able to convince the ministers in his own cabinet, but on this subject, I will back him.
"National interest always comes first."
I disagree with the PM on many things BUT on reducing the foreign aid budget to fund UK defence? He’s absolutely right.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) February 28, 2025
He may not be able to convince the ministers in his own cabinet, but on this subject, I will back him.
National interest always comes first. https://t.co/hwTsp4MF2q
Tory ex-development secretary backs Dodds
13:32
,
Jane Dalton
Former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said Anneliese Dodds had "done the right thing".
The Tory ex-foreign office minister said: "Anneliese has done the right thing.
"Labour's disgraceful and cynical actions demean the Labour Party's reputation as they balance the books on the backs of the poorest people in the world. Shame on them and kudos to a politician of decency and principle."
Reduction of foreign aid budget will 'harm UK's reputation'
12:54
,
Holly Evans
Anneliese Dodds wrote that while the defence budget needed to be increased, she disagreed with the decision for her budget to “absorb the entire burden”.
While Starmer has insisted that the UK will continue to support crucial aid programmes in wartorn regions such as Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, Ms Dodds said it would be “impossible to maintain these priorities”.
“The cut will also likely lead to a UK pullout from numerous African, Caribbean and western Balkan nations at a time when Russia has been aggressively increasing its global presence,” she said.
She stressed that this could lead to the UK being shut out of numerous bilateral bodies and having a reduced voice in G7, G20 and climate negotiations.
“All this while China is seeking to rewrite global rules, and when the climate crisis is the biggest security threat of them all,” she wrote.
UK foreign aid: How much is spent and who receives it?
12:46
,
Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer is set to slash the UK’s foreign aid budget to fund the largest increase in defence spending since the Cold War.
The prime minister said the extra £13.4bn for defence every year from 2027 was needed to counter “tyrants” like Vladimir Putin.
The increase in defence spending from 2.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent of GDP will be funded by cutting spending on overseas aid from 0.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI) to 0.3 per cent, Sir Keir said.
Read the full article here:
Minister draws comparison to Trump decision to slash USAid
12:37
,
Holly Evans
In her resignation letter, Dodds said that she had decided to resign upon learning of the cuts on Monday, but waited until Starmer had returned from seeing President Donald Trump in Washington DC.
She wrote: “It was imperative that you had a united cabinet behind you as you set off for Washington. Your determination to pursue peace through strength for Ukraine is one I share.
“It is for that reason that I am only writing to you now that your meeting with President Trump is over, and four days after you informed me of your decision to cut overseas development assistance to 0.3 per cent of GNI.”
She concluded: “Ultimately, these cuts will remove food and healthcare from desperate people – deeply harming the UK’s reputation. I know you have been clear that you are not ideologically opposed to international development. But the reality is that this decision is already being portrayed as following in President Trump’s slipstream of cuts to USAid.
Dodds recognises defence spending must increase
12:28
,
Holly Evans
In her letter to the prime minister, Anneliese Dodds wrote: “Undoubtedly the postwar global order has come crashing down. I believe that we must increase spending on defence as a result; and know that there are no easy paths to doing so.
“I stood ready to work with you to deliver that increased spending, knowing some might well have had to come from overseas development assistance [ODA]. I also expected we would collectively discuss our fiscal rules and approach to taxation, as other nations are doing.
“Even 3 per cent may only be the start, and it will be impossible to raise the substantial resources needed just through tactical cuts to public spending. These are unprecedented times, when strategic decisions for the sake of our country’s security cannot be ducked.”
Dodds resigns over disagreement with aid funding
12:25
,
Holly Evans
Posting her resignation letter on social media, Ms Dodds wrote: “It is with sadness that I have had to tender my resignation as minister for international development and for women and equalities.
“While I disagree with the ODA decision, I continue to support the Government and its determination to deliver the change our country needs.”
Anneliese Dodds quits over Starmer slashing foreign aid budget
12:17
,
Holly Evans
Anneliese Dodds, the international development minister, has quit her post over Keir Starmer’s decision to slash the international aid budget to boost defence spending.
The senior Labour MP, who attended cabinet, warned that the UK pulling back from development would bolster Russia and encourage China’s attempts to rewrite global rules.
Dodds said she had made up her mind to quit the role on the day she learned about cuts, but had held off until after Starmer had returned from Washington.
It is with sadness that I have had to tender my resignation as Minister for International Development and for Women and Equalities.
— Anneliese Dodds (@AnnelieseDodds) February 28, 2025
While I disagree with the ODA decision, I continue to support the government and its determination to deliver the change our country needs. pic.twitter.com/44sCrX2p8z
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy to hold ‘urgent’ meeting over BBC Gaza documentary
11:57
,
Holly Evans
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is set to hold an “urgent meeting” with the chairman of the BBC after concerns were raised over a documentary aired by the broadcaster.
An internal review into Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone found that the programme’s child narrator is the son of Ayman Alyazouri, who has worked as Hamas’s deputy minister of agriculture.
The BBC said independent production company Hoyo Films, who made the documentary, told them the boy’s mother had been paid “a limited sum of money for the narration”.
In a statement Ms Nandy, who will meet with Dr Samir Shah today, said: “The BBC has acknowledged serious failings by them and the production company Hoyo Films.
“The public rightly holds the BBC to the highest standards of reporting and governance which is why I will be having an urgent meeting with the BBC chair later today.
“I want assurances that no stone will be left unturned by the fact-finding review now commissioned by the BBC’s director-general.
“This review must be comprehensive, rigorous and get to the bottom of exactly what has happened in this case.
“It is critical for trust in the BBC that this review happens quickly, and that appropriate action is taken on its findings.”
Victoria Starmer, Sir Keir's secret weapon
11:41
,
Holly Evans
With just days to go before the UK general election last year, local candidates’ leaflets were dropping through letterboxes across the country. And where I live in Kentish Town, it was no different. Apart from, maybe, that our local MP Sir Keir Starmer was about to become the country’s next prime minister and I can see his house from mine.
It was pretty lively in the run up; what with a noisy week-long protest at the station over the Gaza conflict and piles of children’s shoes placed outside the Labour leader’s house (to remind him of the thousands that have been killed). I regularly spotted his security cavalcade if I was up early, whisking Sir Keir off to work.
But what most surprised me when I saw the Labour leaflet was the picture of Sir Keir with his wife, Lady Starmer. Or Vic, as she is better known by the Kentish Town mum mafia (who reckon she is “cool”, “a laugh”, “down to earth” and “one of us”).
Read about Sir Keir’s wife’s impact in his recent Washington trip here:
Labour overtakes Reform after Starmer’s defence spending boost, latest poll reveals
11:25
,
Holly Evans
Keir Starmer’s gambit on defence spending appears to have received an instant reward after the latest tracker poll for The Independent saw Labour replace Reform UK at the top.
The survey by Techne UK saw Labour gain a point to 26 per cent and Nigel Farage’s party fall back one to 25 per cent. The Tories remained on 22 per cent, a total they have been stuck on for a month.
This week’s poll was taken in the aftermath of Sir Keir’s decision to cut overseas aid from 0.5 per cent of GDP to 0.3 per cent to bring defence spending up to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
While many charities and senior figures in his own party criticised him for undoing the legacy of Gordon Brown’s Labour government more than 15 years ago, the decision by Starmer appears to have given him a small boost with the public.
The poll was also a boost for the Lib Dems up one to 13 per cent and the Greens also up one to 8 per cent.
Crucially, Labour are now level pegging with Reform with voters aged 45 to 55, although Reform’s vote is being boosted by older voters. Labour dominates voters aged under 45 with around a third of the voters.
Let’s not get carried away with Starmer’s White House ‘love-in’ – he got zero on Ukraine
11:04
,
Holly Evans
As he jets back to Britain after his trip to the White House, Sir Keir Starmer is entitled to breathe a sigh of relief. Fears that stiff Starmer would endure a repeat of Theresa May’s awkward hand holding incident with Trump when she visited the Oval Office in his first term proved unfounded.
The president was gushing in his praise for the prime minister, and went out of his way to salute the Anglo-US “special relationship” that some feared had sunk mid-Atlantic. Starmer, looking relaxed and more statesmanlike than usual, returned the compliment in kind.
Barring one or two characteristically eccentric moments, when Starmer’s heart must have been in his mouth, Trump did not pull one of his famous stunts, such as ostentatiously picking a piece of dandruff from Emmanuel Macron’s suit, as he did a few years ago.
Read the full analysis from Simon Walters here:
'Completely unacceptable' some nurses have not received pay rise, minister says
10:41
,
Holly Evans
Wes Streeting said he is happy to work with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) to make sure employers are giving the promised 6 per cent pay rise, after it was put to him that many nurses have not yet received it.
Asked about the issue on Good Morning Britain, the Health Secretary said: “The deal was agreed and was implemented for nurses.
“If nurses are not receiving that pay award, that is completely unacceptable in terms of the delivery of the pay award, and I’m happy to work with the Royal College of Nursing to look at which employers are not paying and make sure they do.”
Wes Streeting called out for old tweets showing he petitioned against Trump 2017 visit
10:28
,
Holly Evans
Starmer arrives back in Downing Street
10:22
,
Holly Evans
After a flying trip to Washington DC to see President Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer has now returned to Downing Street.
He took on overnight flight back to the UK and will now be preparing to host European leaders on Sunday for a summit on Ukraine and the continent’s security and defence.
Trump shuts down Independent reporter pressing Starmer on annexing Canada
10:08
,
Holly Evans
Starmer’s warm-up act with Trump boosts Zelensky’s chances at Friday’s White House summit
09:50
,
Holly Evans
Keir Starmer didn’t barn storm the White House – he barn-owled his way into the Oval Office wisely giving the big bird confidence enough to spread his wings in welcome.
Sir Keir’s title has never mattered so much. He perched on a White House chair upholstered in gold and produced a letter embossed with the Royal crest from his breast pocket. It contained a letter of invitation for a second state visit to the United Kingdom, personally signed by King Charles II.
The royal moniker was painted with a thick black broad nib the 47th president would recognize.
Read the full article from world affairs editor Sam Kiley here:
People should 'start to see and feel improvement' with GP appointments
09:40
,
Holly Evans
Wes Streeting said there will still be “challenges” in terms of the number of GPs and appointments versus demand, but people will “start to see and feel” an improvement with the new contract amendments.
He told LBC: “There’s still going to be challenges in terms of the number of GPs and the number of appointments that are available versus the number of people seeking demand. But I think people should start to see and feel that improvement over the course of this year.
“And we want to go from strength to strength year on year.”
Starmer pledges to review AI plans after musicians and artists warn they face being ripped off
09:33
,
Holly Evans
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to listen to artists and musicians before pushing ahead with his new plans to unleash an artificial intelligence revolution on the British economy.
Pop legends Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney are among a large group of music artists raising serious concerns about the impact of AI on copyright, warning that it could leave creatives unable to make a living.
The two are responsible for some of the UK’s most enduring music, including “Yesterday”, “Hey Jude” and “Candle in the Wind”.
Read the full article here:
Ending the 8am scramble for GP appointments ‘a big challenge’, Streeting says
09:22
,
Holly Evans
A new contract for GPs is a “breakthrough moment”, the Health Secretary has said, as he admitted ending the 8am scramble for appointments is a “big challenge”.
Wes Streeting said the new deal brings an end to the dispute GPs have had with the Government, which has seen them take “collective action” such as limiting the number of patients each doctor sees and stopping the “rationing” of referrals and investigations as requested by the NHS.
The new agreement for the 2025/26 financial year will see the total value of the GP contract grow by 7.2 per cent.
This includes money to cover rising costs, such as staff wages, repairs and maintenance of buildings and growing patient numbers.
Through cutting what the Government says are “box-ticking targets”, ministers say GPs will be freed “to take the first steps to end the 8am scramble for appointments”.
Asked on GB News how he was going to fix the 8am rush for appointments, Mr Streeting said: “It’s a big challenge, as with most things in the NHS, but the fact that we’ve just agreed a deal with GPs on their contract and on the reforms that will deliver the end to the 8am scramble, actually the first time a contract has been signed with GPs since the pandemic, so this is bringing an end to that dispute GPs have had with Government, an end to collective action.
“This is a breakthrough moment that’s going to deliver real results for patients, because with this reform, and with this contract, comes the reform that will deliver online access appointment booking for patients up and down the country to bring the NHS into the 21st century, along with all the other services we have at our fingertips at the touch of a button.”
People will 'of course' protest about Trump visit, minister says
09:09
,
Holly Evans
There will “of course” be people protesting when Donald Trump comes for a state visit, a Cabinet minister has suggested.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told BBC Breakfast that “protests are one of the amazing things about living in a democracy” and praised the special relationship between the UK and the US.
Following Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Washington on Thursday, Mr Streeting said: “I thought that the meeting yesterday was a spectacular success both on the defence and security issues that President Trump and our Prime Minister were discussing but also on the enthusiasm President Trump showed for a deeper trading relationship.”
He said that “hard yards” are ahead on trade negotiations and added: “This historic state visit will be an important moment. Will there be people protecting or disagreeing? Of course there will.
“But I just say to people that those protests are one of the amazing things about living in a democracy. We’ve got the freedom to speak up, people protest against this Government as well.
When ‘Mr Charisma’ met ‘Mr Logic’: body language expert’s verdict on the Trump-Starmer meeting
08:53
,
Holly Evans
When Keir Starmer met Donald Trump in the White House for Thursday’s high-stakes meeting over the future of US-UK relations, the messaging each projected wasn’t confined to words alone.
From the power of the handshakes, to their tender gestures during the televised Oval Office chat, and the way each stood apart during the later White House press conference, the pair could not be more “mismatched”, according to body language expert Caroline Goyder.
“Trump is the silverback, totally relaxed, totally grounded, you know, on his home turf. And the difference, it couldn't be starker,” Ms Goyder told ITV on Thursday night after viewing footage of the US and UK leaders as they prepared to discuss advances in security and trade.
Read the full article here:
Trump should be judged on 'what he does'
08:26
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump should be judged on what he does “not simply on what he says”, a Cabinet minster has said.
Wes Streeting told Sky News that the US president will “slam his position down on the table” but will then work through issues.
The Health Secretary said: “President Trump is someone that needs to be judged on what he does, not simply on what he says.
“If I think about what he’s said in the past about Nato and European defence for example, he did it in a characteristically robust way, but the fundamental point he was making about Europe, including the UK, having to pay our way and pay our fair share for our continent’s own security was actually a fair challenge.
“He put it in his characteristically robust way – he’ll kind of slam his position down on the table to grab people’s attention and show he’s serious – but then he’ll work with people through the issues.”
Streeting says NHS 'not up for grabs' in any US trade deal
08:09
,
Holly Evans
The NHS is “not on the table” in any US trade deal, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said.
Speaking to Sky News after Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to Washington on Thursday, Mr Streeting said: “The NHS is not up for grabs and is not on the table in the context of trade.
“But there are a number of areas where we can and should work together to deepen the trading relationship between our two countries.”
Mr Streeting said he was “excited” by Donald Trump’s apparent enthusiasm for the trading relationship with the UK, but warned “hard yards” are ahead to get any deal completed.
“My friend the Business and Trade Secretary (Jonathan Reynolds) was keen to remind me and colleagues last night that the warmth and enthusiasm is the bit to get the ball rolling but the hard yards are still ahead.
“As we know about President Trump, he is a hard-headed businessman and he’s not a pushover and – as we heard from President Trump, so don’t take my word for it as a loyal Cabinet minister – our Prime Minister is a tough negotiator as well.
“So the hard yards on this are ahead but we do want to make progress. We want to do that quickly. We genuinely think there’s a lot in it for both the UK and the US and our collective economic security.”
US is the 'backstop and bedrock' of European security
07:58
,
Holly Evans
Donald Trump is right that a US presence in Ukraine as a result of a minerals deal would deter further attacks from Russia, a Cabinet minister has suggested.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting told Sky News that the US has been the “backstop as well as the bedrock” of European security since Nato was founded.
“I think there are two things here. One is that I think President Trump is right about the US’s interests and presence in Ukraine acting as a deterrent.
“And secondly the United States has always – since Nato was founded – it has always been the backstop as well as the bedrock of European defence and security for Britain, and for the continent as well because of the shared commitments that we have through the Nato alliance.”
Asked whether more than the minerals deal was needed for security in Ukraine, Mr Streeting added: “This is a fast-moving situation and we’ve been clear throughout we will back Ukraine to the hilt, and there can be no decision about Ukraine without Ukraine.
“That’s why President Zelensky’s visit today is going to be particularly important but I think we’ve seen real signs of progress in recent weeks.”
Streeting questioned on signing 2017 letter preventing Trump state visit
07:52
,
Holly Evans
Wes Streeting said he is sure some people will disagree with Donald Trump making another state visit to the UK, but “in doing so, they are exercising the very freedom and democracy that we are committed to defending with President Trump”.
Asked on GB News if he was wrong in 2017 to sign – and urge other people to sign and share – a petition to prevent Donald Trump from making a state visit to the United Kingdom, the Health Secretary said: “Well, I definitely won’t be doing that this time.”
Mr Streeting said: “People I’m sure will disagree with it in some parts of the country, people may even exercise their right to voice their disagreement and protest, but people should not forget that in doing so they are exercising the very freedom and democracy that we are committed to defending with President Trump.
“So if people enjoy Britain’s freedom and democracy, as I think we do, we’ve got to make sure we defend it, and the relationship with the United States and the relationship with President Trump is absolutely critical to defending that freedom of speech, that right to take part in elections and democracy.
“The freedoms that we’ve taken for granted, to be honest, over many years now, it’s fragile, and we need to defend it, and that’s why the relationship between Keir Starmer and President Trump, between the United Kingdom and the United States is absolutely essential for Britain’s economic and national security.”
'Hard yards ahead' but meeting showed promise, Streeting says
