Reclaiming Labour’s internationalist heart could also stop disillusioned voters drifting towards Lib Dems and Greens
I
f Keir Starmer wants to win back disillusioned voters deserting his party for the Liberal Democrats or the Greens, he could do worse than rediscover Labour’s longstanding moral commitment to international development.
Since cutting the overseas aid budget to fund higher defence spending – losing the excellent Anneliese Dodds in the process – Labour has had little to say on the subject, aside from the fact that 0.3% of national income is the new normal.
But despite the cuts, Foreign Office sources insist that behind the scenes there is a renewed commitment to winning the argument for “the impact and benefits of international development”. If so, it could not come at a more propitious moment.
