Libby Smith

Such an honour to meet with @BillGates today to discuss the global challenges facing us from #Covid to #ClimateChange & the lifesaving work of #UKAid - so fascinating to hear his insights & a thoroughly nice man! 🌎🏥 @BritainLeads @gatesfoundation

New threats of serious organised crime mean we have to step up our response at home and abroad through collaboration with international partners. I have worked alongside @BritainLeads to highlight this issue and their important report by Zoe Swanwick. labourlist.org/2026/02/nation…

I am proud that the UK's international development work supports women and girls across the world to thrive. On #IWD2026, I want to celebrate the women I met in DRC this week, as well as our commitment to stand with women and girls everywhere, every day.

.@LordMcConnell writes in @LabourList that the Foreign Secretary’s recognition of violence against women & girls in conflict as an ‘international emergency’ “will be fatally undermined if the UK goes ahead with disastrous funding cuts to aid …” labourlist.org/2026/03/intern…

I’ve written for @LabourList today as Vice-Chair of @LabourCID on the lessons from Gorton and Denton and why Labour action on extreme poverty should be part of a strategy to win back progressive voters. labourlist.org/2026/03/labour…

Delighted to provide a foreword to this vital report by Zoe Swanwick of the Coalition for Global Prosperity on the urgent need for the UK and our international partners to step up our action to tackle serious organised crime.

Last night, we were pleased to launch our latest report, 'Beyond the Border: Upstreaming Responses to Serious Organised Crime Threats', with a fantastic panel exploring how the UK can tackle the root of serious organised crime, rather than relying solely on border security.

This week, we hosted an LCID parliamentary reception, where we had a packed room of MPs, peers and staffers joining us to discuss all things international development. It was wonderful to hear from FCDO Minister Baroness @JennyChapman and @DavidTaylor85!

🌍 Last week, we were delighted to launch the 2025 Future Leaders Essay Collection! ✍️ This compilation of work, produced by our 2025 cohort of Future Leaders, marks the culmination of another incredibly successful year for the programme. With a focus on 'The New World Order’, ‘The 3Ds: Defence, Development, Diplomacy’, and ‘Global Cooperation’, the cohort produced a range of diverse and insightful perspectives at a time of great global uncertainty. 🤝 Launching the collection last week, we welcomed current and former Future Leaders, policymakers and parliamentarians for a lively evening of reflection and discussion. Our fantastic speakers, Rt Hon Dame Penny Mordaunt DBE, Chair of the Coalition for Global Prosperity, The Baroness Curran, former Minister of State at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, and His Excellency Manar Dabbas, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the UK, offered their own unique perspectives and thoughtful insight on the global challenges the next generation of leaders must face. 🔗 Follow the link below to our webpage to read the essays for yourself! coalitionforglobalprosperity.com/future-leaders…

Thank you to a packed Queen Street cafe who turned out to launch @BritainLeads Future Leaders Essay Collection tonight and to our guest speakers Baroness Curran and His Excellency Ambassador Manar Dabbas. Honoured Baroness Manningham-Buller wrote the foreword and has given her time to the programme. Thank you all.

🌍“When you ask the public whether they support aid for humanitarian efforts or for health, you get very large numbers of people saying - yes, they do support that.” - @DMiliband, keynote address at last week’s Promising Development essay collection launch. Watch the full launch below 👇 coalitionforglobalprosperity.com/videos/v/essay…

🇬🇧“When we integrate defence, diplomacy and development money together, that combines our hard power with our soft power, and we can bring great influence to the world” Listen to General The Lord Dannatt on The @Telegraph's Battle Lines podcast on how Britain can secure its future as a global power - and why cutting aid to boost defence can ultimately make us less safe by weakening the soft-power tools that prevent crises before they escalate. 🎙️Full remarks here: telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

"I firmly believe that it is a strategic error of considerable proportion to have cut our overseas aid budget from 0.7% of GDP to 0.3%” Watch our #2025ErnestBevinLecture keynote speaker, General The Lord Dannatt, give a wide-ranging interview to @CamillaTominey on @GBNEWS 👇

Brilliant event with @LabourCID, @thefabians @BritainLeads & @savechildrenuk to launch a new Labour collection on the future of international development 🌹🌍 A real honour to speak alongside @DMiliband, @AnnelieseDodds , @JeevunSandher @NanaYOHARI , @Joe_Dromey & @staff_heather

🌍 Yesterday, we had the pleasure of launching a new essay collection, 'Promising development: The future of aid in an uncertain world', with @thefabians, @LabourCID and @savechildrenuk, outlining how the UK can maximise the impact of aid in a fragile global context.

This morning, Reform UK held a press conference announcing its budget plans, which include axing the international aid budget. Our chair @staff_heather has issued a statement in response.

A statement from our CEO, @RyanHensonUK, on Reform UK’s aid cut proposal.

Great event this evening with @LabourCID to discuss our @thefabians edited collection on the future of international development. Great to hear from some of the fantastic contributors including @DMiliband, @AnnelieseDodds and @JeevunSandher.

This evening, we are delighted to launch the essay collection ‘Promising Development: The Future of Aid in an Uncertain World’ with our partners @BritainLeads @thefabians @savechildrenuk. Check out the pamphlet ➡️ fabians.org.uk/publication/pr…

7 Labour MPs who served as ministers under Keir Starmer - including @PutneyFleur and @gareththomasMP - have written to the PM warning that an expected cut to the Global Fund to tackle preventable disease would be a “moral failure” & strategic disaster. theguardian.com/politics/2025/…

I'm really looking forward to chairing this event next Monday- we have a brilliant lineup of speakers from across the Labour Party including @DMiliband @JennyChapman @AnnelieseDodds @AliceMLabour @JeevunSandher @staff_heather & @Joe_Dromey🌹🌍