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Aid or Defence: Has Something Got to Give?

14:00-15:15 Tuesday 18 November | Cinema 1, Watershed | Part of the Festival of Economics 2025

This session will explore the competing priorities of national defence and international aid in today’s geopolitical landscape. As nations grapple with security challenges and humanitarian crises, our panel of experts will discuss the impacts of cutting aid versus defence budgets. Our expert panel will debate whether it is feasible to maintain international aid while ensuring national security, and what potential compromises may be necessary.

Panel: Chris Giles (Financial Times; chair), Baroness Arminka Heli?, Adnan Khan (LSE, FCDO), George Magnus (Oxford University), Lucia Retter (CDEA)

Photo: Wirestock for iStock