Peace, not war: Why the UK must invest in peacebuilding

The UK likes to see itself as a force for peace and stability. Yet when we look at where our money goes, a very different picture emerges. Each year, Britain spends over £50 billion on defence, while just a tiny fraction of that is directed towards peacebuilding.

According to government data, the share of UK aid devoted to peacebuilding, conflict prevention and resolution fell from around 4 % of the aid budget in 2016 to just over 1 % in 2023. In other words, for every pound spent on aid, barely a penny now goes to preventing violence.

The cuts to peacebuilding did not happen in isolation. When the government reduced the UK’s aid budget from 0.7 % to 0.5 % of national income in 2021, it led to billions being withdrawn from lifesaving and peace-promoting programmes around the world.

The merger of the Department for International Development (DFID) into the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) further blurred priorities. The Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) found that this shift weakened focus and reduced predictability for long-term peacebuilding projects, the very ones that need patience, continuity, and trust.

At the same time, more of the UK’s aid money has been spent within the UK itself. In 2022, almost 29 % of the total aid budget was spent domestically, leaving even less for overseas conflict prevention. The result is that communities living on the frontlines of instability, from Sudan to Myanmar, are being left without sustained support, even as global conflicts intensify.

What does peacebuilding achieve?

Peacebuilding is not idealism. It means practical work: mediating local conflicts, supporting women’s peace networks, training young people in conflict resolution, and helping governments reform corrupt or abusive security forces. These are the kinds of interventions that stop violence before it spirals, and they prove remarkably cost-effective.

One organisation involved in peace processes in Ethiopia reported that its entire mediation programme cost less than half the price of a single tank. Yet the impact was immense: reduced violence, renewed trade, and communities able to rebuild. Similar success stories can be found in Northern Ireland, Sierra Leone, and Colombia, all places where long-term investment in peace has paid off many times over.

The evidence is clear: every pound spent on peacebuilding saves many more in future military and humanitarian costs. Prevention is not only morally right, but it also makes fiscal sense. Why does it matter for us in the UK? When conflict flares abroad, it rarely stays abroad. Wars drive mass displacement, instability, and extremism, challenges that ripple back to the UK in the form of humanitarian crises, disrupted trade, and global insecurity. If Britain genuinely wants to build a safer world, it must start by funding peace as seriously as it funds war. Peacebuilding is also an issue of democratic accountability. We currently have no say over whether our taxes fund weapons or peace. Yet many would prefer their contribution to go towards constructive ends, supporting diplomacy, dialogue, and rebuilding rather than destruction.

That principle lies at the heart of Conscience’s campaign for a Peace Tax Bill: legislation that would allow conscientious objectors to military spending to redirect the military portion of their taxes towards non-violent peacebuilding efforts. This principle is explored in the following factsheet: https://www.conscienceonline.org.uk/_files/ugd/6a01f4_03fa9fde5730450fb45a977e10df1 70d.pdf

Time to turn priorities around

The UK has the expertise, institutions, and history to lead in peacebuilding once again, through the FCDO, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, and through our civil society. What’s missing is political commitment and financial consistency.

If the government can commit billions to weapons systems and defence contracts, it can surely find the resources to prevent wars in the first place. Redirecting even a small share of military and aid budgets towards peacebuilding would have an outsized effect, saving lives, saving money, and reflecting the values most of us hold.

If you want peace, prepare for war peace. That means investing in the people and programmes that make peace possible, and giving taxpayers the right to ensure their money helps build a safer, fairer world.