INTRODUCE a wealth tax to avoid mounting cuts to international aid, campaigners urged the government yesterday. 

It comes after the international development committee warned that progress in eliminating global hunger has stalled — at best.

Last month, the Labour government announced that it would slash its aid budget from 0.5 to 0.3 per cent of gross national income. 

In a new report, the committee called on the government to learn the lessons of past austerity.

It warned that progress will stall and the misery inflicted on millions will be incalculable if the government fails to learn lessons from 2020’s cuts to international aid.

Where cuts are to be implemented as part of the government’s spending review, the committee urged for a phased transition with clear communication.

In 2015, Britain signed up to the UN’s sustainable development goals, which included a target to end global hunger by 2030.

The world is off-target and “shows signs of waning in its resolve,” warned the report.

According to UN’s world food programme, 733 million people faced hunger last year, while 45 million children under five suffer from acute malnutrition.

Committee chair Sarah Champion warned that “progress in eliminating hunger is stalling, if not reversing.

“At a time of rising instability, a whole-government approach to delivering on our zero-hunger goals could be transformative,” she said.

The committee recommended Britain makes “a generous and well targeted pledge” at the Nutrition for Growth summit at the end of March and pledge at least £50 million to the Child Nutrition Fund.

The government was also urged to implement a new commitment on nutrition and food security within the next six months.

Jonathan Stevenson, head of communications at Global Justice Now, said: “The UK could levy a wealth tax to avoid its mounting cuts to international aid and now social security. 

“But hunger is caused by a lack of power as well as money. 

“The government should also be going beyond funding to look at the corporate control of food in the global south, and supporting policies which promote food sovereignty rather than the profits of big corporations.”

Oxfam Senior Policy Adviser, Anna Marriott said: “It is a terrible injustice that efforts to eliminate global hunger are stalling while the world’s richest continue to make extraordinary profits.

“Instead of cutting aid which will cost lives and exacerbate poverty and inequality, the UK Government should be dialling up efforts to help ensure we live in a world where everyone has enough to eat.

“Fairer taxation of the UK’s super rich, like a 2 per cent tax on those with assets of over £10 million alone would raise £24 billion every year.”