Labour has come under fire for spending £14million to help install solar panels and create jobs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Critics have accused the party of sending millions of pounds overseas while British families are being “hammered” with soaring energy bills.
The criticism comes after a new report found a Government scheme — which started under Sir Keir Starmer’s administration in December 2025 — planned to support the cities of Gemena, Bumba and Isiro in acquiring solar systems, creating jobs and improving living standards.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spending was uncovered in research carried out for GB News by the Taxpayer’s Alliance.
Responding to the findings, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho told the People's Channel: “As families are being hammered by soaring taxes and high energy bills here at home, it will stick in the throat of every taxpayer that this Labour Government has chosen to spend £14million of their money installing solar panels in the Congo instead of fixing the damage that Ed Miliband is causing to everyone's energy bills.”
Of the money spent, the Foreign Office listed three main objectives they wanted to focus on, which critics suggest is a negligent use of taxpayer funds.
The two principal targets the department aims to hit are biological diversity and climate change mitigation, while achieving gender equality was listed as the most significant aim.
Since 2024, official records show ministers have committed to provide £1.98billion over three years to the International Development Association (IDA) — the World Bank’s fund for the world’s lowest-income countries.
Labour has come under fire for spending £14million to help install solar panels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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In response, Reform UK's Deputy Leader Richard Tice said: “At a time when millions of people in Britain are worried about spiraling energy costs, it’s ridiculous the government is spending £14million of taxpayers’ money on solar panels in Congo.”
"This is exactly the kind of wasteful foreign aid Reform UK scraps. We would prioritize Britain first and limit aid to genuine emergencies, not ideological climate projects overseas. Frankly this is a grotesque negligent use of taxpayer's cash for which civil servants need to be fired and possibly prosecuted.”
Average annual energy bills in the UK are set to increase by £332 from July, an amount which is more than double the anticipated rise, amid the Iran conflict.
With a typical annual household energy bill set to reach £1,972 a year under the UK Government's quarterly price cap, according to a report from Cornwall Insight.
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Richard Tice said: 'It's ridiculous the government is spending £14million of taxpayers’ money on solar panels in Congo'
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Investigations Campaign Manager at the Taxpayers Alliance Callum McGoldrick commented: "While Brits are being hammered by high energy bills and a punishing tax burden, they will be utterly baffled to see £14 million of their hard-earned cash shipped off to the Democratic Republic of Congo for solar panels.” It is an insult to families struggling to keep their own lights on that the FCDO is treating taxpayers like a bottomless ATM for overseas green schemes.”
Mr McGoldrick added: “The government's priority must be bringing down costs for working Britons, not funding foreign infrastructure projects".
GB News has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
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