HAYWARDS HEATH, United Kingdom \u2014 Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the political spectrum have continued to voice their concerns regarding the decision by the U.K. government to\u00a0reduce foreign aid\u00a0spending to 0.3% of gross national income (GNI) from 0.5%. Opposition to the cuts has been voiced most recently by the members of the International Development Committee. They consider the reduction of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to conflict with the government\u2019s long-established commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on ODA.<\/p>\n
All 11\u00a0members of the Committee<\/a>\u00a0have worked toward improving the lives of people across the globe. However, there are five MPs in particular with a history of working with various aid organizations who continue their work advocating and supporting U.K. foreign aid and development.<\/p>\n Brian Matthew<\/p>\n Before becoming the Liberal Democrat MP for Melksham and Devizes in the latest general election, Matthew demonstrated a strong commitment to combating global poverty. He assisted various charities and NGOs across Africa, worked in war zones and helped respond to cholera epidemics. Since becoming an MP, Matthew has continued his efforts to support U.K. foreign aid and development.<\/p>\n He has called on the U.K. government to help create an expeditionary peace force to conduct peace and aid work in Sudan and attended the launch of a report examining the\u00a0impact of malnutrition<\/a>\u00a0on global development. Matthew has also publicly stated that cuts to development assistance have made global malnutrition highly precarious, creating a challenge the U.K. government must address.<\/p>\n David Taylor<\/p>\n Before becoming the Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, Taylor worked for the international charity Oxfam, where he began his advocacy for human rights, primarily focusing on Syria and Yemen. Taylor used his experience working with international charities to found the\u00a0Labour Campaign for International Development<\/a>\u00a0(LCID) in 2009, supporting government policies that target global poverty, instability and natural crises. The scale of LCID\u2019s operations has reached new heights in recent years, with 52 LCID-endorsed candidates in the 2024 general election now serving as MPs.<\/p>\n Taylor continues his work supporting U.K. foreign aid and development by urging the government to keep aid spending at 0.5% for as long as possible. He argues that aid is vital not only to secure national interests but also because the U.K. government has a responsibility to support the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n Monica Harding<\/p>\n Before becoming the Liberal Democrat\u00a0MP for Esher and Walton<\/a>, Harding had an extensive career in the public and private international charity sectors. She served as President and CEO of Refugees International Japan, sat on the board of Refugees International USA and worked as Director of Communications with the British Council in London, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai.<\/p>\n Her work supporting U.K. foreign aid and development has continued since becoming an MP 18 months ago. She serves as an officer in the\u00a0All-Party Parliamentary Group<\/a>\u00a0(APPG) on Sudan and South Sudan and is a member of the APPG that helps promote the United Nations Global Goals. Additionally, Harding has publicly expressed her belief that foreign aid and development are critical elements of effective foreign policy and has called on the government to\u00a0reverse its cut<\/a>\u00a0to the U.K. aid budget.<\/p>\n David Mundell<\/p>\n Across his 21-year career as the Conservative MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, Mundell has remained steadfast in supporting U.K. foreign aid and development. In addition to his membership on the International Development Committee, he serves as chair of the\u00a0Conservative Friends of International Development<\/a>\u00a0and co-chair of both the APPG on Nutrition for Development and the APPG on HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health.<\/p>\n An area of focus for Mundell is the fight against global malnutrition, having conducted three international trips with United Against Malnutrition. His\u00a0most recent trip<\/a>\u00a0was to Tanzania, where he observed the impact of the U.K. overseas development in treating and preventing malnutrition in both Tanzania and Zanzibar. Mundell has said that \u201cnutrition is like rocket fuel for our aid budget.\u201d According to him, U.K. investment in nutrition is a strategic decision that could offset the \u201cmore than $1.6 trillion lost annually in productivity and potential.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah Champion<\/p>\n Unlike some others on this list, Champion\u2019s work supporting U.K. foreign aid and development began when she joined Parliament as the Labour MP for Rotherham in 2012. She has twice served as chair of the International Development Committee, a role she currently holds, becoming the first woman elected to the position.<\/p>\n Champion has spoken extensively about the damaging impact of reducing foreign aid to 0.3% of GNI on Britain\u2019s global influence and its existing global health initiatives. She\u00a0has urged the<\/a>\u00a0government to maintain current levels of investment in polio prevention, which has averted approximately 1.6 million deaths. She warns that a withdrawal of funds could lead to 200,000 new cases of the disease each year.<\/p>\n Champion\u2019s political actions align with her rhetoric; she successfully proposed\u00a0a Parliamentary debate<\/a>\u00a0to approve the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office\u2019s spending for 2025\/26, which took place on March 4, 2026.<\/p>\n Supporting UK Foreign Aid and Development<\/p>\n