Early day motion · EDM 925 · 10 Mar 2025

Overseas aid budget

Tabled by Ms Diane Abbott (Independent) 31 signatures

The motion

That this House notes with concern the Government’s announcement to significantly increase military spending at the expense of vital overseas development assistance and public services; believes that these are the wrong priorities for public investment and will make the world less safe and disproportionately impact the poorest, both at home and abroad; notes the year-on-year increase for defence spending since 2016; further notes the 2023-24 Infrastructure and Projects Authority report which assesses as unachievable the Ministry of Defence programme to replace Britain’s nuclear weapons, due to sustained delays and cost overruns; further believes the billions of pounds allocated to this programme are a waste of public funds; and calls on the Government to reverse its plans to increase defence spending and instead redirect funding into public services, international development, and climate action to build a safer, fairer, and more sustainable future for all.