‘Rebuilding Labour’s internationalism starts with genuine partnership’

Labour is rightly having an intense conversation about what kind of party we want to be.

At the same time, this week’s Global Partnerships Conference in London is bringing together governments, civil society and others to ask what meaningful partnership looks like in an increasingly unstable world.

These conversations are more connected than they first appear. The values shaping our party’s future also shape how we engage with the world beyond our borders.

Recent aid cuts raised serious questions about Britain’s direction, particularly given the human consequences when support is withdrawn – patients losing access to care, essential services being disrupted, and communities left more exposed to preventable illness, disease outbreaks and the wider impact of crises. But they also matter because conflict, health threats and climate shocks increasingly shape the pressures we face here at home too.

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Earlier this year, the Foreign Secretary was right to argue for partnership over paternalism. But if that is to mean anything, it has to mean shifting power, not simply changing language – so affected communities have real ownership over priorities, resources and decision-making.

As a doctor with a public health background, I have seen why that matters. The most effective responses are built with the people living through these realities, not designed for them from a distance.

Diaspora health organisations offer a compelling example. At a time when traditional aid models are under strain, they show what a more sustainable approach looks like – grounded in trust, lived experience and real connection to the communities they support.

Take the Ghanaian Doctors and Dentists Association UK, a diaspora-led professional network that connects healthcare expertise across borders. During the COVID-19 pandemic, members mobilised vital medical supplies for hospitals and health facilities. But their contribution goes far beyond emergency response – from supporting specialist medical training to helping establish Ghana’s first postgraduate sports medicine programme.

This is not a one-off. During the Ebola crisis, Sierra Leonean health workers in the UK mobilised funding, expertise and public health support while traditional aid systems were still getting into gear.

That kind of reciprocity matters. Without international staff, the NHS would cease to function. Around 36% of NHS doctors and 30% of nurses are non-UK nationals, with recent analysis estimating their economic contribution at more than £14 billion.

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For a party with solidarity in its DNA, the lesson should be obvious: the strongest international relationships are built on mutual contribution, not one-way obligation. These examples show how international cooperation, done well, delivers shared benefit – strengthening health systems overseas while also reinforcing the NHS workforce and helping build a safer, more prosperous future for all of us.

For too long, international development has seen decisions made far from the communities living with the consequences – with governments and institutions in wealthier countries setting priorities, controlling funding and deciding whose expertise counts.

If the Government wants this week’s Global Partnerships Conference to mean something, it should be a test of whether we are prepared to do things differently – listening to the people already driving change, and being willing to share power accordingly.

That is what modern internationalism should look like: not simply new language, but new ways of working – rooted in trust, reciprocity and genuine collaboration.

Labour has a choice. We can treat partnership as a useful political phrase in an era of constrained budgets. Or we can show that Britain is at its best when it builds relationships that reflect our values.

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