Ex-defence chiefs demand safeguards against military raid on aid budget

Aid is ‘critical to the UK’s national interests’ , says letter to the Observer, even as MoD forced to cut army jobs

Some of Britain’s most senior military figures have warned David Cameron that Britain will be less safe if he starts clawing money from the overseas aid budget to shore up the military.

In a letter to the Observer, nine prominent members of the military establishment – including former chiefs of the defence staff Sir Mike Jackson and Lord Stirrup – call on Cameron to resist pressure from Ministry of Defence officials to cut or divert the aid budget, describing it as “critical to the UK’s national interests”.

Other signatories to the letter include the former security minister and head of the Royal Navy, Lord West, and Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely. The authors say that “the military is rarely decisive on its own; a holistic approach is needed to address the root causes of conflict. Focused and accountable development spending is essential to achieve this.”

The warning follows a concerted campaign by the MoD to stake a claim to money from the ringfenced overseas aid budget before next week’s government spending review. Defence officials have attempted to secure a deal where they can draw on millions of pounds from Britain’s aid budget by suggesting that the Department for International Development (DfID) pays for some military costs.

Cameron prompted speculation that aid money would be channelled through the MoD after admitting that he was “very open” to the idea of pooling resources between the two departments.

The letter’s signatories warn that “soundbites and political expediency” should not be allowed to cloud the need for a “properly thought-out national strategy to protect the UK’s interests and shape the world for the better”.

However, MoD officials remain concerned that, while the size of the aid budget – currently £10bn – has grown sharply, defence spending has been cut, with 4,480 army job losses announced last week.

Although the government has committed itself to spending 0.7% of gross national income on overseas aid, one of the highest levels in the western world, aid agencies fear that a slice of the budget will be used to cover humanitarian work undertaken by the military.

The letter’s authors say: “If Britain is to punch its weight on the international stage, it is essential both to fund defence properly and to maintain our internationally respected pledge to spend 0.7% of national income on aid to help the world’s poorest people.”

It is understood that some senior MoD officials have suggested that the government should simply abandon the 0.7% coalition pledge, a benchmark set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Bernard Aryeetey, head of government relations at Save the Children, said: “It is reassuring to see so many senior and widely respected defence figures underlining the importance of our aid. Britain’s global influence and reputation is bolstered by both a strong military and a solemnly held promise to help the …read more