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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Britain Foreign Aid US
HEADLINE: Amid USAID debate, Britain offers model for merging aid, diplomacy
TEASER: US media report Trump administration plans to put USAID under State Department, echoing similar move by Britain
PUBLISHED AT: 2/11/2025, 12:48
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Page, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, APTN, Reuters, AFP
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:06
VID APPROVED BY: Baragona
TYPE: TVR
EDITOR NOTES: The TV edit and web version will be filed early Tuesday))
((INTRO)) [[The Trump administration last month paused funding for the U.S. Agency for International Development amid reports that it may be put under State Department control as the president seeks to align it with his ‘America First’ policy. Britain's recent similar move to restructure its foreign aid could offer lessons for Washington. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.]]
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF USAID))
((NARRATOR))
The battle over the future of the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID [pron. U-S-A-I-D], echoes a similar debate in Britain.
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF BRITISH AID))
In 2020, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson merged the Department for International Development, or ‘DFID,’ ((pron. DIF-fid)) with the Foreign Office.
((Date chyron: June 16, 2020))
((Boris Johnson, Former British Prime Minister))
“This will unite our aid with our diplomacy and bring them together in our international effort… The foreign secretary will be empowered to decide which country receives or ceases to receive British aid while delivering a single U.K. strategy for each country.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF JOHNSON))
((NARRATOR))
Johnson’s decision chimed with his Conservative Party’s skepticism over aid spending, says analyst Tim Durrant of the Institute for Government.
((Tim Durrant, Institute for Government))
"Not always aligned with what he thought the U.K.'s foreign policy priorities should be. I think there was definitely a sense among those on the right of U.K. politics that DFID was a bit too big for its boots perhaps or needed better oversight.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF BRITISH AID))
((NARRATOR))
But the move shocked the aid sector, says analyst Mark Miller of ODI Global.
((Mark Miller, ODI Global))
“Because you now had a set of senior managers in place who were largely focused on supporting the U.K.'s national interest — however you might interpret that — rather than previously, a very clear mandate where aid was meant to be prioritized towards poverty reduction.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF BRITISH AID))
((NARRATOR))
In 2020, Britain’s aid spending was also cut from 0.7% of Gross National Income, the highest in the G7 group of developed nations, to 0.5%. Spending was redirected.
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF REFUGEE HOUSING))
Almost a third of Britain’s aid budget — some 5.2 billion dollars –– was spent on supporting refugees inside the country in 2023. Aid spending also reflected Britain’s geopolitical priorities, says Miller.
((Mark Miller, ODI Global))
“There was more attention being paid to trying to out-compete, let's say China or Russia, particularly in Asia-Pacific. Trying to upscale investment in these regions, whereas historically aid had been much more focused on Africa.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF FCDO OFFICE))
((NARRATOR))
The creation of Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, or FCDO, offers lessons for Washington as it mulls the future of USAID, says Durrant.
(Tim Durrant, Institute for Government))
“In the U.K. instance, there was a sort of reputational hit. DFID had a very strong brand, as does USAID. There's also the kind of knock-on impact it has on morale and productivity. I think this is particularly going to be the case in the U.S. But there is now a sense that the FCDO is the one voice and that there are people who have both development and diplomacy experience who are representing the U.K. in countries where the U.K. is spending development money.”
((VIDEO: AGENCY FOOTAGE OF USAID))
((NARRATOR))
Durrant added that strong oversight of spending is vital to retaining public support for foreign aid.
((Henry Ridgwell, VOA News, London.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateFebruary 11, 2025 13:03 EST
BylineHenry Ridgwell
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, US Agency for Global Media
