As leaders of the UK’s development, humanitarian and peacebuilding sector, we are deeply concerned that the spending plans the new government has inherited from the previous government will slash UK aid programmes to levels not seen since 2007 including under recent Conservative governments.
If these plans are not urgently revised, the Prime Minister and his government will be withdrawing vital services and humanitarian support from millions of marginalised people globally and turning up empty- handed to global forums over the coming months.
At a time when the UK is trying to demonstrate to the world that it is once again a reliable development and humanitarian partner, the government must take immediate and bold action in the autumn budget to maintain UK aid at current levels (0.58% of GNI), reduce the amount of UK aid being spent within the UK on refugees and asylum seekers, while still ensuring adequate support for this vulnerable group, and urgently set out new plans for how and when the government will return to 0.7%.
Signed:
- Adam Heal, Executive Director, Stakeholder Democracy Network
- Adele Paterson, CEO, International Health Partners
- Adrian Lovett, Executive Director for UK, Middle East and Asia Pacific, ONE Against Poverty UK
- Alan Sweetman, Executive Director, Pahar Trust Nepal
- Alex Daniels, CEO, APT Action on Poverty
- Alex Kent, Co-CEO, Restless Development
- Alice Oyaro, Interim CEO, Transform Trade
- Alison Marshall, CEO, Age International
- Alvaro Bermejo, Director General, IPPF
- Amanda Wilkinson, CEO, Motivation
- Amos Army, Executive Director, Asecondchance
- Amy Jankiewicz, CEO, Population Matters
- Andrew Betts, Director, Advantage Africa
- Annabel Harris, CEO, Network for Africa
- Aziz Hafiz, Chairman, Humanity First UK
- Ben Leather, Director, Peace Brigades International UK
- Ben Simms, CEO, Tropical Health and Education Trust
- Benjamin Carey, Managing Director, Carey Tourism
- Bethan Cobley, CEO, MSI Reproductive Choices
- Bev Jullien, CEO, Mothers’ Union
- Camilla Knox-Peebles, Chief Executive, Amref Health Africa UK
- Caroline Barber, Chief Executive, Transaid
- Caroline Harper, Chief Executive, Sightsavers
- Caroline Qutteneh, Director, The Welfare Association
- Catherine Moulogo, Co-Executive Director, Dolen Cymru Lesotho
- Ceris Turner-Bailes, Chief Executive, WasteAid
- Charles Davy, Managing Director, Afghanaid
- Claire O’Shea, Head, Hub Cymru Africa
- Colin Rogers, CEO, MapAction
- Dan Coppard, Director of Policy & Research, Development Initiatives
- Darren Cormack, Chief Executive, Mines Advisory Group
- David Evans, Ace Africa UK Country Director, Ace Africa
- David Westlake, CEO, IJM UK
- Elizabeth Silver, CEO, Women and Children First (UK)
- Eva Tabbasam, Director, GAPS
- Evelyn Brealey, Director, Cambridge Global Health Partnerships
- Faith Mwangi-Powell, CEO, Girls not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage
- Fiona Morrell, Executive Director, Theatre for a Change
- Fiona Remnant, Director, Bath Social & Development Research
- Fola Komolafe, CEO, World Vision UK
- Frances Guy, Executive Director, Scotland’s International Development Alliance
- Gemma Holding, Chief Executive, Article 25
- Gemma Sherrington, Interim CEO, Save the Children UK
- George Graham, Chief Executive, Humanity & Inclusion UK
- Halima Begum, CEO, Oxfam GB
- Hannah Bond, Co-CEO and Director of Advocacy and Influencing, ActionAid UK
- Hannah Stevenson Doornbos, Executive Director, South West International Development Network (SWIDN)
- Harpinder Collacott, Executive Director – Europe, Mercy Corps
- Harriet Gordon-Brown, CEO, CHASE Africa
- Helen McEachern, CEO, CARE International UK
- Helen Pattinson, CEO, War Child
- Henrietta Blackmore, National Director, Habitat for Humanity Great Britain
- Ian Bensted, Chair, WATSAN Uganda, UK Support
- Ian Shapiro, CEO, Reall
- Ian Wishart, CEO, The Fred Hollows Foundation UK
- Ingrid Guyon, Executive Director, Fotosynthesis
- James Cowan, CEO, The Halo Trust
- James Harcourt, Managing Director, Options for International Health
- James Tibenderana, CEO, Malaria Consortium
- Jamie McIntosh, CEO, Scottish Love in Action
- Jamie Morrison, CEO, Signpost International
- Jane Salmonson, Director, Firefly International
- Jean-Michel Grand, Executive Director, Action Against Hunger UK
- Jenny Hodgson, Executive Director, Global Fund for Community Foundations
- Jim Emerson, CEO, The Power of Nutrition
- Joanna Hook, Managing Director, Co-Founder, Temwa, Malawi
- Joel Gill, Co-CEO (Research and Impact), Geology for Global Development
- John Reynolds, CEO, International Nepal Fellowship
- Jonathan Cohen, Executive Director, Conciliation Resources
- Jonathan Groves, Director, The Kerusso Trust
- Jonny Oates, Chief Executive, United Against Malnutrition and Hunger
- Julian Page, Managing Director, Livingstone Tanzania Trust
- Katie Husselby, Director, Action for Global Health
- Kerri Jones, Chair of Trustees, Future Health Africa
- Khalid Javid, CEO, Muslim Aid
- Khusbu Patel, Acting Executive Director, International Rescue Committee UK
- Kirsty Smith, CEO, CBM UK
- Kitty Arie, CEO, Results UK
- Lara Allen, CEO, Centre for Global Equality
- Lauren Watters, CEO, Able Child
- Lorraine Currie, CEO, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund
- Marcos Concepcion Raba, Executive Director, Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction
- Mark Galloway, Executive Director, International Broadcasting Trust
- Martina Gant, CEO, Child.org
- Martin Drewry, CEO, Health Poverty Action
- Martin Hartberg, Director, Norwegian Refugee Council
- Mary Ann Clements, Co-CEO, ADD International
- Matthew Carter, Group CEO, Depaul International
- Matthew Lake, CEO, Dhaka Ahsania Mission UK
- Michael Young, Executive Director, British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group
- Mick Sheldrick, Co-Founder, Global Citizen
- Mike Gidney, CEO, Fairtrade Foundation
- Muhammad Seedat, Chairman, Ummah Welfare Trust
- Nabeel Al-Ramadhani, CEO, Human Relief Foundation
- Nic Hailey, Executive Director, International Alert
- Nigel Harris, CEO, Tearfund
- Nik Kafka, CEO & Founder, Teach A Man To Fish
- Patrick Watt, CEO, Christian Aid
- Paul Smith, UK Director, Musana UK
- Paul Stuart, CEO, Ripple Effect
- Peter Taylor, Acting Director, Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
- Peter Waddup, CEO, The Leprosy Mission
- Phil Tunstall, Director, STAND
- Philip Goodwin, CEO, Voluntary Service Overseas
- Romilly Greenhill, CEO, Bond
- Rose Caldwell, CEO, Plan International UK
- Salman Mujtaba, CEO, Medics Across Continents
- Sandra Golding, CEO, ADRA-UK
- Sayyeda Salam, Executive Director, Concern Worldwide UK
- Shuaib Yusaf, CEO, Al-Khair Foundation
- Silence Chihuri, CEO, Fair Justice System for Scotland Group
- Tanya Buynovskaya, Director, HealthProm
- Tessie San Martin, CEO, FHI 360
- Tim Wainwright, Chief Executive, WaterAid
- Tom Dannatt, CEO & Founder, Street Child
- Tom Gibb, Executive Director, Plan International UK
- Tom Mitchell, Executive Director, International Institute for Environment and Development
- Tufail Hussain, Director, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW)
- Vashti Seth, Founder and CEO, Deki, Togo
- Victoria Lupton, Founder & CEO, Seenaryo
- Wendy Harrison, CEO, Unlimit Health
- Zasi Ignatius Mborihenga Raphael, Executive Director, Community Skills Development