Restore Britain’s global leadership and build an ambitious G20 platform, ONE urges new Chancellor and Foreign Secretary

• Total UK aid spending will fall to 0.3% of national income by 2027–28, its lowest share since 1999 and lowest cash terms since 2012

• UK bilateral aid to Africa is being cut by 56%, falling by almost £900 million per year by 2028–29

• The ONE Campaign estimates that UK cuts to vaccine programmes alone could contribute to more than 600,000 avoidable deaths worldwide by 2030

• ONE argued that defence, diplomacy and development are not competing priorities but complementary ones – and urged the new Chancellor and Foreign Secretary to restore Britain’s global leadership ahead of next year’s G20 in Manchester
 
LONDON, UK – July 20, 2026 – The ONE Campaign urged John Healey, the new Chancellor and Ed Miliband, the new Foreign Secretary, to turn the page on the previous government and reverse Britain’s ‘shortsighted’ retreat from international development.
 
The ONE Campaign welcomed the appointments, stressing that defence, diplomacy and development are not competing priorities but complementary ones, working best when pursued together.
 
In February 2025, Keir Starmer’s government announced it would cut UK aid spending from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income – its lowest share since 1999, bringing its total amount in cash terms to its lowest level since 2012.
 
Bilateral aid to Africa alone will be cut by more than half, totalling £875 million per year, by 2028-29 – while some African nations will see a reduction of up to 90% of their UK aid. Even when multilateral initiatives are included, UK support to Africa is falling by 26%.
 
The ONE Campaign estimates that UK cuts to vaccine programmes alone (Gavi and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria) could contribute to more than 600,000 avoidable deaths worldwide in the coming years.
 
That retreat has not happened in isolation, but the UK has led the race to the bottom. The US, Germany and Canada have all cut aid budgets in recent years, but analysis from the Center for Global Development shows the UK is now cutting aid more deeply than even the US. The UK is set to cut development spending by 27% in 2026/27 and 34% by 2027/28, compared with a 23% cut in the US over a comparable period.
 
The ONE Campaign said this leaves the UK with an opportunity as well as a responsibility: to use a restored aid budget and its diplomatic weight to lead the fightback for international cooperation – building towards an ambitious G20 platform that puts reform of the global financial system at the top of the agenda.
 
Adrian Lovett, UK Executive Director of the ONE Campaign, said:
 
“Keir Starmer’s aid cuts of the last two years were shortsighted, poorly thought through and ultimately self-defeating. Done well, aid isn’t a drain on Britain’s foreign policy goals – it’s one of the best tools we have for achieving them.
 
“Conflict and instability reign in places where children cannot survive and thrive. As a former Defence Secretary, John Healey knows that better than anyone. He and Ed Miliband now have a golden opportunity to chart a new course and prove that defence and development aren’t at odds.
 
“We now need a clear, funded route to reverse Starmer’s cuts and deliver on Labour’s manifesto commitment on international assistance. And over the coming months, the government must build an ambitious G20 platform that brings the world’s major powers together to fix the financial system and enable children to survive and young people to thrive. That would be a legacy to be proud of.”

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Notes to Editor:
 
The ONE Campaign estimates that cuts to vaccine programmes alone could contribute to more than 600,000 avoidable deaths worldwide in the coming years.
 
In 2025, the UK government cut funding to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, from £1.65 million to £1.25 million – a £400 million cut.
 
Gavi aimed to save at least 8 million lives between 2026 and 2030, and to vaccinate at least 500 million more children. To do so, at the last replenishment cycle, Gavi set a fundraising target of $11.9 billion (approximately £9 billion) for its work from 2026 to 2030.
 
Therefore, proportionally, a £400 million cut to Gavi is equivalent to 355,000 fewer lives saved.
 
In 2025, the UK also cut its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by £150 million.
 
The Global Fund had aimed to raise £13.5 billion, which they said would help to save 23 million lives.
 
Therefore, proportionally, a £150 million cut to the Global Fund is equivalent to 255,000 fewer lives saved.
 
About ONE:
 
ONE is a global, nonpartisan organisation advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Since 2004, we have helped secure more than $1 trillion in new investments to build a safer, more prosperous world. Our trusted advocacy combines hard-hitting data, grassroots activism and political engagement to influence decision-makers and drive lasting change. Learn more at ONE.org