Mercy Corps Statement on new UK Minister of State for Development and Africa

Mercy Corps Vice President of Institutional Donor Engagement, Nick Jones-Bannister says: 

“Mercy Corps welcomes the appointment of Kirsty McNeill as Minister of State for Development. She takes up the role at an exceptionally difficult moment, when humanitarian needs are rising sharply and UK aid spending is set to fall by around 42%—£6.5 billion—from its 2023 peak to a historic low in 2027–28. However, we are deeply disappointed that the Development Minister will not attend Cabinet. At a time of escalating global crises and severe cuts to the aid budget, development must have a strong voice at the heart of government decision-making. 

“The Government’s stated focus on humanitarian action, health, climate and nature, local leadership, and support for women and girls is welcome, but progressive language cannot disguise the reality of deepening cuts. The decision to fund a domestic bus-fare cap by switching planned international climate finance from grants to loans is another raid on an already depleted aid budget. Making transport more affordable at home matters, but it should not be paid for by replacing support for climate-vulnerable countries with debt. This risks worsening already unsustainable debt burdens, diverting resources from essential services, and shifting finance away from the poorest countries, which often bear the least responsibility for the climate crisis and cannot afford to borrow. 

“Protecting assistance for Sudan, Palestine and Ukraine is vital. But this must not come at the expense of people facing devastating crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is confronting the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, or in Somalia, Yemen and other fragile countries bearing the brunt of conflict and climate change as safety nets weaken.  

“UK aid saves lives. It feeds children starved by conflict, delivers clean water and medicine, and supports the education and healthcare systems families depend on. It also tackles the conflict and climate threats that endanger us all. The Government must ensure the Development Minister has meaningful access to Cabinet, reverse the switch from climate grants to loans, set out a credible pathway back to higher aid spending, and ensure the UK pays its fair share of international climate finance. That is essential to rebuilding Britain’s reputation as a trusted, high-quality development and humanitarian partner.”