Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips spoke of wanting to avoid her sons having to go to war amid a threat of rising instability in Europe, as she defended the Government’s aid cuts.
Ms Phillips said she supports the decision to reduce overseas aid to fund a boost to defence spending, even if the cuts are “directly damaging”, adding there is “no good choice” to be made in the current climate.
The minister, who has long been an outspoken advocate for victims of abuse, trafficking and exploitation, said she is “picking between a rock and a hard place” when asked about the cuts.
Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced defence spending will increase to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a view to it hitting 3% in the next Parliament.
But to fund it, development assistance aid will be slashed from its current level of 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% in 2027.
Ms Phillips, whose portfolio in Government includes tackling modern slavery, said she will “have to very robustly now go and look at where we were spending aid”.
Speaking at an event in London on Wednesday, she said: “Whilst I don’t like it, and I wish it wasn’t the case, I support what the Government is having to do.”
Asked if she feels this way even if the cuts are “directly damaging” to her brief, she replied: “Of course even if it’s directly damaging, like, I’m picking between a rock and a hard place, aren’t I? So, no good choice here.
“But I also don’t really want the rise of terrible instability in Europe. I have two teenage sons. I don’t particularly want them, like my grandfather was, in fatigues, if I’m perfectly honest.”
She noted that “with all the aid spending that we have, we didn’t reduce modern slavery”, and said she will be looking to find a “real evidence base” for spending.
Ms Phillips was speaking at a conference organised by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre at the University of Oxford, to mark 10 years since the Modern Slavery Act came into effect.
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In October, the Government made a commitment to “eradicate” the backlog of decisions on modern slavery cases by the end of 2026, announcing 200 extra staff have been hired to speed up processing.
People trafficking, forced labour, criminal exploitation and sexual exploitation are all considered forms of modern slavery.
Ms Phillips said just over 100 new staff have been hired and the backlog slashed by almost 40% from last year.
The latest official figures, published last week, showed that as of February 17, there were 15,301 cases awaiting conclusive grounds decisions – down 39% compared to the same time a year ago and down 48% from the peak of 29,275 in late 2022.
Murray Hunt, director of the Oxford University centre hosting the conference, said: “Modern slavery has recently slipped down the public policy agenda, compared to a few years ago, and recent cuts to international aid are an example of setbacks that the work to address modern slavery has suffered recently.
“But there are also more positive developments which provide opportunities for progress. The new UK Government’s unequivocal commitment to international law and human rights, for example.
“Modern slavery is a human rights issue because it is about protecting people against exploitation by the privately powerful. Recognising this must be a starting point for any serious work to address it.”