Prime minister
It is with sadness that I write to inform you that I will stop at attending your cabinet and that I will offer you my dismissal as your minister for international development and for women and equality.
As I told you earlier this week, it was necessary that you had a united cabinet behind you while you were on your way to Washington.
Your determination to pursue peace through strength for Ukraine is one that I share.
It is for that reason that I only write to you now that your meeting with President Trump is over, and four days after you have informed me about your decision to reduce overseas developmental assistance to 0.396 from GNI.
The post -war global order has undoubtedly crashed.
I believe that this should increase the expenses for defense; And know that there are no easy paths to do this.
I was ready to work with you to make those raised expenses, knowing that some might have to come from ODA.
I also expected that we would jointly discuss our tax rules and approach to taxation, as other countries do.
Even 3 percent may be the beginning, and it will be impossible to increase the substantial means that are necessary, only due to tactical cuts on public spending.
These are unprecedented times when strategic decisions cannot be turned off because of the safety of our country.
Instead, the tactical decision was made for ODA to absorb the entire burden.
You have maintained that you want to continue the support for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine; for vaccination; for climate; And for rules -based systems.
Nevertheless, it will be impossible to maintain these priorities in view of the depth of the cut; The effect will be much larger than presented, even if the assumptions about lowering the asylum costs are true.
The cut will probably also lead to a British withdrawal of countless African, Caribbean and Western Balkan countries-in a time when Russia has aggressively increased its global presence.
It will probably lead to the withdrawal of regional banks and a reduced dedication to the World Bank; The UK is excluded from countless multilateral bodies; And a reduced voice for the UK in the G7, G20 and in climate negotiations.
All this while China tries to rewrite the global rules, and when the climate crisis is the largest safety threat of all.
Ultimately, these cutbacks will remove food and health care from desperate people – who deeply harm the reputation of the UK.
I know that you have been clear that you are not ideologically against international development.
But the reality is that this decision is already depicted as follows in the slipstream of President Trump of cuts on USAID.
Although we differ greatly from this decision, I remain proud of everything you have achieved, because I supported you to become the Labor Party leader.
I will always be grateful that I enable myself to contribute to our election victory, by appointing myself to the policy evaluation, stronger together and the National Policy Forum, and of course the Labor Party itself, including work of anti -Semitism and about the production of the manifesto.
I am also grateful to the many thousands of party members, party staff and trade union members.
I am also sorry that I will no longer be able to work with you on a more equal -Britain, after years of the discount of women and equality in the ladies and equality where I can offer a commonse approach that could contain public support while I can provide change.
I am sorry that I will not be in the post to deliver the groundbreaking new legislation on equality for black, Asian and minority ethnic people, disabled people and LGBT+ people we are dedicated to.
However, I am happy that the 0E0 measures in the bill of labor rights will soon be, so that the support for women in the workplace will cause a revolution.
Finally, I would like to thank the officials with whom I have worked for the past eight months – people who often work at the most dangerous and difficult places and circumstances to protect the interests of our country.
I wish you, and the government you recommend, every success for the future.
I will continue to support you, and the change that you are determined to deliver – but now I will do this from the back seat.
Yours ever,
Anneliese Dodds MP
