a new parliament

On 4 July 2024, the UK goes to the polls to vote in the General Election. The following day, we should know who will form the next Government, and who will represent us in our own constituency in Parliament. Whether it’s a brand new face or a re-elected MP, this is a perfect moment to congratulate them on their election and to show them that people in the constituency care about ending global poverty and injustice around the world.

Whether your MP is in the party of Government or on the opposition benches, they are in a position to take action on international issues by taking part in debates or by becoming members of relevant parliamentary committees or groups. It is therefore important to engage MPs on poverty reduction over the course of this new Parliament and beyond, starting now!

why congratulate my MP?

Whatever their political party, your MP will be able to influence the new Government and hold them to account for their actions on the world stage. This is a chance to welcome them to their new role, and to introduce yourself and your personal motivations for why you think we should be acting in solidarity with people in other countries. This will help build the case for international development with an MP who may never have had any interest in it before.  

Current polling indicates that there will be a huge turnover of MPs after the election and with over 130 former MPs standing down, there will be very many new MPs in the next Parliament. This means that campaigners will have to start from the beginning, developing a relationship with their new MP and to help them understand how the UK Government can make a difference in its international development efforts.

what issues to raise with your new MP

Showing that you care about global poverty is more important than mentioning specific issues right now – later in the year we will be asking you to raise some specific concerns with your MP. But for now, there are some ‘big picture’ issues that you might want to talk about:

• The UK must outline a clear plan for returning its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to 0.7% of Gross national Income (GNI). The cuts to the UK’s ODA (“aid”) budget since 2021 have massively reduced the UK’s ability to contribute to poverty reduction efforts around the world, as well as reducing the UK’s reputation as a reliable development partner. The current budget (around 0.55%) must be increased and focused on poverty reduction programmes around the world. 
• The UK must ensure that the UK’s ODA budget is targeted towards the most marginalised and where there is greatest need. The UK should ensure its spending on overseas aid is targeted towards the most marginalised in line with the commitment in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ‘leave no one behind’. There are also concerns that tying the UK’s development spending to its wider foreign and diplomatic priorities undermines the purpose of overseas aid as something that should be used to meet the greatest need. Also, in 2023, 28% of the UK’s total ODA budget was spent domestically by the Home Office, weakening already overstretched resources and severely hampering efforts to eradicate global poverty.