Development Minister Jenny Chapman said the UK's sharply reduced aid budget is the "new normal".

Mrs. Lady Chapman took her position in February as Anneliese Dodds resigned in protest against Keir Starmer's decision to cut overseas aid spending to 0.3% of gross national income, from 0.5% of national income to cover the increase in defense spending.

Chapman said when she and her team browsed the aid budget line by line, seeking deep cuts, they did not cover the belt as temporary.

"I didn't make a choice, thinking, 'Oh, we have to spend two years in the next 18 months and then we're back to where we are.''. I'm making a decision and thinking it's new normal and we have to do the job," she said. She repeatedly refers to what she calls the "0.3 world."

Chapman became a member of Congress in Darlington from 2010 to 2019 when she lost her seat in Boris Johnson's landslide victory. She was swallowed by Starmer in 2021.

In the spacious room of the Foreign Ministry, she acknowledged that many long-term development supporters were frustrated by the scale of Labour’s cuts, but claimed that the industry needed public support to win different ways.

“I think the aid department can do a great job, and there are some incredible people who have been working to make the world a better place for their entire lives,” she said.

"At the same time, the fact is that the public's confidence in this agenda has disappeared and we need to be honest about it. I will work with them to improve this."

“I don’t shy away from the difficult message when I think I need to make them.”

The UK made significant progress in aid and debt relief ahead of its 20th anniversary at the Gleneagles G8 summit, and Chapman claims Labour can still lead on these issues.

"I am proud of the thinking of the last Labour government leading development. We have to do the same thing now, we have to shape the appearance of development for the next 20 years. That's the work."

Chapman drew criticism earlier this week because Britain has long been seen as a "global charity" in the appearance of the cross-party International Development Commission.

But after the committee’s barbecue, she insisted that even if there is no need for cuts, the way governments work with developing countries requires significant reforms.

"African governments say they want partnerships, not paternalistic. So they want to have more control over what's going on in their country," she said.

Chapman suggested that the UK’s new approach in strict resources would involve sharing UK expertise and encourage private sector investment. “I was in the city this morning with a new investment team,” she said. “A lot of enthusiasm, a lot of possibilities.”

She also highlighted the urgency of cutting the cost of supporting asylum seekers in the UK, which accounts for 20% of the overseas aid budget in 2024.

Chapman is part of a joint working group with the Ministry of the Interior to reduce budgets in the field. "They need to go further and faster because that's not good for the money. They'll agree with that," she said.

When asked about the cuts going to drop, Chapman refused to make any specific budget commitments, but the UK said it would prioritize humanitarian aid. She also hinted at other areas that the government may focus on, including the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) division, which provides grants and loans to low-income countries, and the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI).

"The money the World Bank spends, you get £10 for every £1 you put in. It's very good to use. The Ida Fund is running well, and there's evidence of impact," she said.

“We are one of the biggest donors in Gavi; it can save hundreds of thousands, millions of lives.”

The UK invested £19.8 billion in IDA by the end of 2024 before announcing budget cuts, but has since recommended commitments “under review.” Gavi held a commitment meeting and the UK is expected to make its contribution.

Chapman also praised the BBC World Service for the government's request for budget cuts.

"We don't know what the exact allocation will be. We're working through these numbers, but I'm going to say that the world service is doing a huge job that no one else can do," she said. It's "an absolute gold standard resource."