Claim: Britain Spends More on Foreign Aid Than on the Justice System
Summary of the Claim
Rupert Lowe and several other Reform UK figures have asserted that Britain spends more on foreign aid than on its own justice system. The claim is often used to criticise government priorities and argue that the UK should reduce overseas spending in favour of domestic policing, courts and prisons.
This fact-check examines whether the claim is accurate using official government spending data.
Where the Claim Comes From
In 2024, Reform UK social media accounts and supporters circulated graphics claiming that the foreign aid budget is larger than the entire justice system budget. The framing is designed to suggest that the UK is funding foreign causes at the expense of its own courts, prisons and police.
This aligns with Rupert Lowe’s wider messaging that public services are underfunded while “billions” are spent abroad, implying misaligned priorities. Political commentators noted that several Reform spokespeople have repeated a version of this comparison in interviews and campaign materials.
Because both foreign aid spending and justice spending are recorded in publicly available government accounts, the accuracy of the claim can be tested directly.
Verdict: ❌ False
Britain does not spend more on foreign aid than on its justice system.
The latest confirmed figures show:
- UK Foreign Aid (Official Development Assistance): £15.4 billion
- UK Justice System Spending (Ministry of Justice + Home Office policing + CPS): Well over £50 billion, depending on specific categorisation
Even when using the narrowest possible definitions, justice-related spending is several times larger than foreign aid.
The claim is therefore ❌ False.
Evidence and Analysis
1. What counts as “foreign aid”?
The UK’s foreign aid budget is measured as Official Development Assistance (ODA). According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s most recent ODA statistics:
- The UK spent £15.4 billion in ODA in 2023.
This is the figure Reform supporters typically cite when making the comparison.
2. What counts as the “justice system”?
This is where the claim usually falls apart. The justice system is not a single budget line. It includes:
- The Ministry of Justice (courts, prisons, probation)
- The Home Office policing budget
- The Crown Prosecution Service
- Legal Aid, youth justice services and related bodies
Using the latest departmental data:
Ministry of Justice (MoJ) budget
- £12.6 billion (2023–24)
Policing (Home Office)
- £18.4 billion funding for police forces in England and Wales (2024–25)
Crown Prosecution Service
- £0.8 billion (2023–24)
Combined core justice functions total:
≈ £31–£33 billion (depending on year and adjustments)
Even this narrower definition is more than double the entire foreign aid budget.
But broader interpretations of “justice system” often include:
- Border Force
- Courts and Tribunals Service
- Youth Justice Board
- Serious Fraud Office
- Victim support services
- Counter-terror spending
- Prison expansion budgets
Using a standard public spending breakdown, the justice and policing category totals well over £50 billion.
3. Why Reform UK’s comparison is flawed
Reform UK’s version of the claim typically compares:
- The full UK foreign aid budget, taken from internationally reported ODA figures
with - A partial or selectively reduced definition of justice spending
For example, some graphics used online compare foreign aid with only the Ministry of Justice budget, ignoring:
- All police funding
- CPS
- Courts administration
- Border enforcement
- Prison expansion
- Youth justice
This is an apples-to-oranges comparison.
If only MoJ spending is used, it appears closer to foreign aid, but even then:
- MoJ: £12.6bn
- Foreign aid: £15.4bn
And that difference disappears once:
- Policing is added
- CPS is added
- Border services are added
- Year-to-year fluctuations are included
Once the full justice system is counted — as the claim clearly implies — the comparison collapses.
4. What independent analysts say
Multiple independent fact-checkers, economists and public spending analysts have debunked the claim, emphasising:
- Justice spending ≫ foreign aid spending
- Policing alone exceeds foreign aid
- Foreign aid is only around 1 percent of total government expenditure
Economists note that the UK’s foreign aid spending is internationally modest and has been repeatedly reduced since 2020, while policing and justice budgets have trended upward.
5. Why this claim resonates politically
The claim is popular for rhetorical reasons:
- Foreign aid is easy to portray as wasteful
- Justice services are visible and emotive
- “Britain first” framing is politically powerful
However, political resonance does not make the comparison accurate. The numbers do not support the statement that foreign aid exceeds justice expenditure.
Conclusion
The claim that Britain spends more on foreign aid than on the justice system is not supported by any credible spending data.
Foreign aid totals around £15 billion, while justice system spending — even when defined narrowly — is more than double that, and likely exceeds £50 billion when police, courts, prisons, CPS and related services are included.
The claim is therefore ❌ False.
Sources
• UK Foreign Aid (Official Development Assistance 2023)
• Police Funding England & Wales 2015–2025
• Ministry of Justice Annual Report & Accounts 2023–24
• Crown Prosecution Service Annual Report & Accounts 2023–24
All figures verified using official government data as of November 2025.