Preet Kaur Gill MP, Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Minister for International Development, said:
This new report confirms what Labour warned all along: that scrapping our world-renowned international development department in the middle of a pandemic was counterproductive and wrong.
On the Foreign Secretary’s watch, this Government failed to consider the impact of the merger and aid cuts, and worse still, has avoided sharing how taxpayers’ money has been spent when it should be publicly available. Now we are seeing the UK tumble down international rankings on aid transparency where we once led. Even the Foreign Secretary’s own policy advisor has admitted that the merger has hampered efforts to track projects and secure value for money.
As this Government tries to politicise development spending, the risk of waste and scandals like Pergau Dam will increase. It is more important than ever that the Government commits to the highest standards of transparency about its spending and restores Britain’s development expertise to manage it.
In government, Labour would bring Britain back to the global stage as a trusted partner, restore Britain’s international development expertise and treat taxpayers’ money with the respect that it deserves.
Notes
Aid Transparency Index 2020: Aid Transparency Index 2020 - Publish What You Fund
Preet Kaur Gill MP reaction to Aid Transparency Index 2020: https://twitter.com/PreetKGillMP/status/1275715615723065345?s=20&t=mqmHe7Vvf4TVzlFYd4u1xQ
NAO 2022 Report on “Managing reductions in Official Development Assistance spending”: Managing reductions in Official Development Assistance spending (nao.org.uk)
Stefan Dercon, Policy Advisor to the Foreign Secretary 2020-22 speaking to Devex about the impact of the merger: Former senior FCDO official offers insider view of the UK aid cuts | Devex
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