This is huge news. She's not a household name but she's a Starmer ally, usually super loyal, and on a core point of principle. She's also right. - ThreadSky

iandunt.bsky.social • 19 days ago

This is huge news. She's not a household name but she's a Starmer ally, usually super loyal, and on a core point of principle. She's also right.

Reposted from Kiran Stacey

Amazing exclusive by @pippacrerar.bsky.social. And a big blow for Starmer.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Comments

castrogacio.bsky.social•19 days ago

If they don’t take it from foreign aid, they’ll take it from people on welfare. They won’t attack the wealthy with tax.

I hope they do, but I don’t see it if we take recent actions into account.

The Labour Party have brought all of this on themselves with their strategy to appease the right.

mccormack91.bsky.social•19 days ago

If she had any principles she would stay in the Government and fight for it. Instead acts like a petulant child.

sparklyjed.bsky.social•19 days ago

That seems like a personal opinion. Why does principles only mean stay and fight? Petulant child is also surprising. What part of her letter felt like that to you?

jandehn.bsky.social•19 days ago

Russia & China are her key arguments. It tells you everything you'll ever need to know about UK aid. It is intensely political & has nothing to do with alleviating poverty. Dodds is right UK foreign policy is being compromised, but let's not for a second pretend she ever gave a shit about the poor.

yorkshirepaddy.bsky.social•19 days ago

I much prefer Dodds to Reeves.

craigf-m.bsky.social•19 days ago

Abandoning the most needy people in the world is preferable, it seems, to taxing the super-rich, imposing a digital tax on companies like Amazon, or upsetting the Red Wall and the rabid right-wing press by joining the single market and pumping £30+ billion into the Exchequer’s coffers. Choices.

nickthetallone.bsky.social•19 days ago

She's also at odds with Streeting's trans health policies. As a minor player, her commitment was already eroding away.

chrisgallon.bsky.social•19 days ago

In a post US world where we are working flat out to protect Ukraine from Russia, is there not a case that "Global Britain's" horizons are necessarily shrunk. What can we actually do without US cover outside Europe even with aid?

2300.bsky.social•19 days ago

Pat on the back for her principles I suppose, but pragmatism is better than pure ideology in politics.

edstupple.bsky.social•19 days ago

It is a time for pragmatism not principle

ka7ma.bsky.social•19 days ago

cutting aid and Canada

malcolmdw.bsky.social•19 days ago

A great shame - she was an excellent advocate for her role!

pantsdownpolitics.bsky.social•19 days ago

She is wrong. So are you - it is NOT huge news. Starmer/Trump is the news, not a non-cabinet minister taking in her bat and ball over a budget cut. Nitshit politics but its all the right have got this week.

csav55.bsky.social•19 days ago

Tbh, it's something the media are very interested in but I doubt Joe and Joanna public are interested.

207michael.bsky.social•19 days ago

And where can the money come from? I'm not happy where it's come from but the choices are limited. We can't easily borrow and any increases in taxes would cause more problems

grumpycook.bsky.social•19 days ago

I respect her decision as I hope Starmer will

steveparks.bsky.social•19 days ago

Credit to her for taking a stand. She's no hothead so I can only imagine she exhausted behind the scenes advocacy and negotiation.
That she felt compelled to do this does ring alarm bells, and I'm otherwise a mild Starmer fan.

gfrose.bsky.social•19 days ago

Sadly, it seems global events have overtaken this. Other things will surely be cut now ✂️

quantumchico.bsky.social•19 days ago

Respect her decision. There is only so much a decent person can take before having to look in the fucking mirror and accepting she doesn't belong beside grifters and vultures.

kevmoore.bsky.social•19 days ago

“Of course I talk, I’m the Minister for Overseas Development.”

sprintexec.bsky.social•19 days ago

Dodds has principles and understands the impacts of these wrong-headed cuts. Prediction - Starmer and Reeves will either find the money for their 'pet projects' soon enough or work out that they have painted themselves into a corner.

steve10089172.bsky.social•19 days ago

Huge? Really.

caxskye.bsky.social•19 days ago

Most indicate she’s quite left wing & really a Corbyn/McDonnell throwback. 🤷‍♂️

slainsworld.bsky.social•19 days ago

In all fairness, it’s hard to see how the government can get it right. Money for defence has to come from somewhere. Doesn’t matter where you cut it from, someone is screaming at the injustice of it. They honestly can’t win

geor9e.bsky.social•19 days ago

It's not really huge, though, completely overshadowed by events in the USA.

reluctantbob.bsky.social•19 days ago

Warms me a little to know there are still some principles out there

r-buller.bsky.social•19 days ago

What alternative did she prefer, that would have delivered a funded defence uplift for Starmer to declare in the Oval Office yesterday?

We're in emergency mode and Starmer is staunching the rift.

She's absolutely right this is a crude stopgap. How does resigning now help?
1/2

r-buller.bsky.social•19 days ago

Soon, Labour will have to change their tax deal with the electorate - that delicate dance *takes time*.

The eventual destination is "There's nothing left to cut, so we must raise taxes to defend our nation".

To win broad popular appeal, both the danger and the prior cuts need to be obvious.
2/2end

thinkitthrough.bsky.social•19 days ago

She's right, alright 👍

grahamrb32.bsky.social•19 days ago

Very positive move. There is a cost to any decision but principles matter.

stevenomad-72.bsky.social•19 days ago

IF ZIONIST STARMER CUT HIS FUNDING TO GENOCIDE ISRAEL, there would be more money for real "defence" without cutting Aid.

WHY IS THAT OPTION NOT BEING AIRED OUT IN MSM 🤔??

cillacat.bsky.social•19 days ago

Shame such a good minister has resigned. As her letter says there were options but taking all the increase in defense from foreign aid is shortsighted. Labour has a large majority it needs to be thinking more strategically.

tpine99.bsky.social•19 days ago

Not so loyal it would seem, when push comes to shove.
So much work for the govt to do to put the country right, and she quits at the first difficult hurdle.
Disappointed - to put it mildly.
Seriously pissed off.

noelgl.bsky.social•19 days ago

And I hope she acts as the party conscience to ensure the overseas budget is fully reinstated when our depleted defences are fit for purpose.

eddiemiller9000.bsky.social•19 days ago

We should focus on Ukraine.

antifacistandy.bsky.social•19 days ago

Foreign Aid should be ring fenced. Given britains history of colonial crimes it is more than aid, it is reparations for the evil spread by the uk over centuries.

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