A classified Cabinet Office dossier released in 2023 shows that nearly £28 billion of UK public money was diverted to terrorists, hostile states and criminal networks from 2015 to 2021.. The findings, which should have sparked a national scandal, were reportedly kept under wraps because the political fallout was deemed riskier than the financial loss itself. as the report notes, the money was funneled through foreign aid programmes, defence contracts and even pandemic‑related furlough schemes.

£28 billion misallocated to the world’s “malign trinity”

The dossier identifies three primary recipients of the misdirected funds: Russia, China and Iran. Money intended for humanitarian relief in Syria was allegedly seized by Islamic State operatives , while British research grants were channeled to institutions tied to China’s military. Moreover, a defence‑technology firm later acquired by a Kremlin‑linked investor received UK taxpayer support, effectively bolstering Moscow’s capabilities.

£205,000 and £250,000 paid to Iranian‑linked London centres during Covid

During the pandemic, the Islamic College of London received £205,000 in furlough payments and the Islamic Centre of England was allocated almost £250,000, despite the Supreme Leader of Iran branding British vaccines a “Zionist bioweapon.” The report says these payments exemplify how UK funds can end up supporting entities that openly oppose British interests.

£96.4 billion total foreign aid spend versus £28 billion at risk

Between 2015 and 2021 the UK government spent roughly £96.4 billion on overseas aid, according to the dossier. The £28 billion that went astray represents nearly 29% of that total, a proportion that raises serious questions about oversight and due‑diligence mechanisms within the Foreign Office, Ministry of Defence and charitable partners.

Quirky waste alongside the serious misdirection

Beyond the high‑profile cases, the dossier highlights bizarre expenditures: £15 million on a project to curb flatulence in Colombian cattle, £25 million for Kenyan “rainmakers” studying ant behaviour, and about £285 million on an airport on St Helena that proved unusable due to dangerous winds. While these projects may appear eccentric , they illustrate a broader pattern of weak scrutiny over public spending.

Who will answer for the £28 billion leak?

The report was commissioned by the Cabinet Office in 2023 but, as the source notes, it was “sat on” because the political repercussions were feared to be more damaging than the financial loss. No senior minister has publicly taken responsibility, and the Foreign Office has not released a detailed response. The lack of accountability leaves taxpayers without a clear path to redress.

According to the Cabinet Office dossier, the misallocation was not a single error but a systemic failure across multiple departments. as the original briefing states, “the rot begins at home,” suggesting that procedural complacency, rather than malicious intent, alloewd the funds to slip through.

Calls for an independent inquiry are growing, with opposition parties demanding a parliamentary investigation. Until such scrutiny occurs, the £28 billion figure remains a stark reminder of how public money can be weaponised against the very nation that funded it.