UK Gov’s New Approach to Africa – Fears for further aid cuts to Malawi

Following recent articles in the Press on the possibility of additional cuts to UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Malawi, Scotland’s First Minister has written to the UK Government. In a letter which was published last Sunday, Mr Swinney asks the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Yvette Cooper MP whether more cuts are being planned and, if so, urges, in the strongest terms that this be reconsidered.

In an article written in “The National” on 09 December 2025 warning of the prospect of the UK’s aid to Malawi being cut to zero, it was reported that “The Foreign Office did not deny that aid to Malawi would be cut drastically.” continuing that that a spokesperson for the FCDO said: “The UK Government is committed to a modern development partnership with Malawi, using UK expertise to support Malawians with their own reforms.”

Westminster’s International Development Committee has asked the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) to explore the impact on Malawi of additional cuts.

On Monday 15 December, Baroness Chapman made a statement, setting out a "New Approach to Africa: UK-Africa Strategy", acting, she said, on a manifesto commitment for a new approach. It can be read in full here but includes a 7-point plan:

• moving from donor to investor
• working together on the challenges of migration
• advancing shared interests on climate, nature, and clean energy
• collaborate for peace and stability, the foundations of prosperity
• strengthening systems that support people and growth
• championing African voices in global decision-making
• supporting innovation and cultural partnerships

An Urgent Question prompted a debate in Westminster the following day and The UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Hamish Falconer MP, repeated the statement and responded to questions.

Specifically on Malawi, Chris Law MP said:

“Warm words offer cold comfort to those facing brutal aid cuts this winter. While the Scottish Government remain fully committed to their global partners, the UK is in full retreat. While Scotland’s First Minister has personally visited Malawi in recent weeks to see at first hand the impact of the lifesaving partnership we have, the UK Government leak to the press that they are likely to cut all their aid to Malawi, which is one of the poorest countries in the world. In the spirit of Christmas, will the Minister do the right thing and halt all those aid cuts until the Government have carried out full country-by-country impact assessments on the African continent?"

Mr Falconer replied:

“In the spirit of Christmas, I am glad to hear that the First Minister of Scotland has been travelling to visit UK aid programmes, as have I and the whole of the Foreign Office ministerial team. As I said earlier, decisions on ODA allocations will be announced in the new year.”