Exclusive: David Lammy asks BBC bosses to draw up tightened budget amid criticism move could harm UK’s global influence

David Lammy is asking BBC bosses to draw up tens of millions of pounds’ worth of cuts to the World Service as part of the spending review, as the fallout continues from Keir Starmer’s decision to slash the aid budget.

Supporters of the service say the cuts are likely to damage the UK’s international reputation and undermine the fight against global disinformation, given Donald Trump’s attempts to remove funding from the Voice of America (VOA), the US equivalent.

  • No_Eponym@lemmy.caEnglish
    18·
    2 months ago

    As a non-brit, I really don’t understand. I thought Labour was supposed to be slight left. Why are they running a Donald Trump Lite government? Cutting aid, cutting services, scapegoating refugees, weird AI moonshoots… Didn’t people reject these policies from the Conservatives when they elected Labour? Why didn’t the Brits just keep the Conservatives if all this is going to happen anyway?

    • FundMECFS@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      14·
      2 months ago

      Labour, Democrats, Liberals (Canada), Labour (Australia) etc. They are all parties of the neoliberal elite. They may fly rainbow flags and occasionally add small welfare, but they ultimately answer to corporate doners.

    • palordrolap@fedia.io
      4·
      2 months ago

      At this point, I reckon they’re about where the pre-Thatcher Conservatives were. The actual Conservatives are now further right than they used to be too but don’t seem to realise it, and every time they try to design policies they end up confused that what they’ve come up with looks like fascism (to everyone else if not also to them).

      If I had the wherewithal, I’d start up a Socialist party, because it’s clear now that parties only ever shift right and there’s a gap at the left end of the spectrum.