The implications of Western development aid cuts on UK defence and security were debated by Lord Evans of Weardale KCB DL, former Director General of MI5 and Chair of the HALO Trust, and General Sir Graeme Lamb KBE CMG DSO, former Director Special Forces and Commander of the Field Army.
Chaired by RUSI Director General Rachel Ellehuus, the speakers considered how development assistance contributes to stability, and what the UK should prioritise in fragile and conflict-affected states as aid budgets contract.
Lord Evans made the point that development aid cannot be separated from the wider international and security environment, and that early conflict intervention is the best use of limited resources. He described cuts to the UK's conflict prevention funding as ‘a false economy’ in an increasingly interconnected world.
Continuing, he said: 'You need to think about this as a holistic issue. You can't say, "we’re not going to do aid, but we are going to do defence", because defence doesn’t stand alone. It stands as part of a stable environment within which we can continue to build allies.'
He added: 'The safest way to be is to live within a safe neighbourhood. And the whole world is our neighbourhood in the current environment.'
General Lamb cautioned against reducing the debate to small budget percentages, saying that soft and hard power are inseparable.
He noted: 'Who we are and how we present ourselves matter. So, my point is simply this, it’s neither soft nor hard power, it is both. Absolutely both.'
The event was part of RUSI's UK Security in a Post-Aid World project. The project continues with an event featuring Lieutenant General H R McMaster, which will be held online on 24 November.
