Development minister reaffirms 0.7% UK aid pledge

By Heather Stewart, Economics editor — 13 September 2026

Kirsty McNeill has declared herself “a huge believer in aid” and reaffirmed Labour’s manifesto pledge to return to a target of 0.7% of national income spending.

McNeill, a former adviser to Gordon Brown and senior executive at Save the Children, declined to give any timetable, repeating the formula that the government would work towards the target “when fiscal circumstances allow”.

She also promised the government would prioritise value for money to help allay voter concerns about aid spending.