BORIS Johnson’s government is breaking the law by bypassing Parliament to force through “deplorable” cuts to the UK’s international aid budget, opponents say.
The Tories confirmed in November that they would break their legal commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on overseas development aid. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab promised MPs at the time that they would be able to vote down the move.
However, he has now reneged on that pledge, sparking a warning from parliamentarians that he is breaking the law.
A cross-party group of 28 MPs has written to Raab, stating: “The ex-Director of Public Prosecutions, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, has recently investigated the legality of the Government’s failure to pass new legislation before the development cut was announced. He was clear that the International Development Act 2015 does not make provision to change the 0.7 per cent target itself, only to miss it.”
Raab pledged late last year: "We will need to bring forward legislation in due course." Yet the aid budget is now coming into force without legislation or Parliamentary approval.
The SNP's Minister for International Development and candidate for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Jenny Gilruth, said: "It speaks volumes of the Tory government's narrow post-Brexit vision that it has bypassed Parliament and ploughed ahead with deplorable cuts to the aid budget in the middle of a pandemic.
"Despite committing to legislation to secure parliamentary approval, Boris Johnson's Tories have instead shamefully backtracked.
"The Tories have all the wrong priorities. They have found the money for multi-million pound ugly vanity projects including a new TV studio and a second private plane – but are simultaneously cutting desperately needed support for some of the world's poorest and most vulnerable.
"Scotland faces a choice of two futures – a callous and isolationist Tory government under the broken Westminster system, or the opportunity to build a fairer future as an independent country that takes its international obligations seriously in a post-pandemic referendum.”
Reports suggest the UK Government is keen to avoid a vote to stave off the threat of a Tory rebellion, with as many as 30 MPs likely to oppose the cut.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take tough but necessary decisions, including temporarily reducing the overall amount we spend on aid.
“We remain a world-leading aid donor and we will spend more than £10 billion this year to fight poverty, tackle climate change and improve global health. The UK Government has acted in accordance with the International Development Act 2015 throughout this process.”
The Prime Minister insists that he intends to eventually restore the 0.7% rate, but has not set a date for doing so.
The SNP pointed out that the Scottish Government has launched a £10 million fund for international development and a £1m Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF).
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