Foreign aid cut ‘beyond despicable’

Christine Allen (inset), director of Cafod, has described the government’s decision to slash international aid as “beyond despicable”, writes Ellen Teague.

“The government is hiding behind fiscal formulas to abandon the world’s most vulnerable,” she said. She stated that the economic rationale for its aid cut “is fatuous” because the 0.7 per cent commitment is already tied to economic growth, declining or rising with it. “The cuts in aid, whilst increasing defence spending, just underline how cynical this is,” she said, adding: “The truth is this is a political decision, which is at the expense of the world’s most vulnerable and marginalised communities affected by Covid and climate change.”

She was speaking last week after charities warned that many thousands will die as a result of harsh cuts to the UK’s aid budget, endorsed by MPs on 13 July. In spite of appeals from charities and faith leaders, MPs voted for the cuts by 333 votes to 298 – a majority of 35, approving an indefinite delay to reversing the £4 billion international development cut despite opposition from prominent Tory rebels. The government insisted afterwards it remains committed to eventually restoring the 0.7 per cent commitment, but no time frame was given.

Christian Aid agreed that the vote “speaks of a government trying to escape its responsibilities to the world’s poorest people”. Pete Moorey, Christian Aid’s head of UK advocacy and campaigns, said: “It beggars belief that, in the middle of a global pandemic with extreme poverty rising, we are turning our backs on the most vulnerable people in the world.”