Rory Stewart says Starmer and Trump both responsible for ‘unimaginable damage’

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rory Stewart has hit out at Keir Starmer’s decision to slash foreign aid spending to boost the defence budget, comparing the Labour prime minister to Donald Trump. “Now that Trump has stopped all USAid and Starmer has cut most of UKAid, the change will be almost unimaginable in global health and pandemic preparedness, famines, global education, refugees and migration, international security, global financial stability, climate action, and above all for hundreds of millions of the extreme poor worldwide.” open image in gallery Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are responsible for ‘unimaginable damage’, Rory Stewart has said The Conservatives also said the foreign aid cuts showed Sir Keir could not be trusted to stick to his own values, even as they backed the policy. “So whilst their decision to redirect aid to boost defence is right - it just goes to show Labour are incapable of sticking to their own word.” Sir Keir’s announcement came just 24 hours before the prime minister flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with the US president since last month’s inauguration. “The last few weeks have accelerated my thinking on when we need to make this announcement, and I’ll be very clear about it because it is absolutely clear to me now that the decision that, as it were, started life three years ago, needs to be taken now.” open image in gallery Mr Stewart has previously clashed with vice president JD Vance Mr Trump has said he wants to “close” his government’s USAid agency and billions in aid money has been frozen since he came to power.