MPs who voted for aid cuts 'have blood on their hands'

ICN/JS

Many thousands will die as a result of harsh cuts to the UK's aid budget voted in by MPs on Wednesday, aid agencies warn. In spite of appeals from charities and faith leaders, there were 333 votes to 298 - a majority of 35, in favour of the government's plan to slash its international development budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI.

Christine Allen, Director of CAFOD, told ICN: "It is beyond despicable that the government is hiding behind fiscal formulas to abandon the world's most vulnerable. Its economic rationale for its aid cuts is fatuous. 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 underlines how cynical this is. 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. Today's vote was an opportunity to show that 'Global' Britain is better than this, yet it is clear this Government is not."

Neil Heslop, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), said: "It is no exaggeration to say that this decision by parliament will devastate international development charities all around the world and the end result is that lives will be lost as a direct consequence."

Heslop said the UK has a history as a world leader in international development and "to turn our back on that legacy is an historic mistake."

"Valuable, life-changing programmes, built up over years with the support of UK taxpayers, now risk collapse and any vision of a global Britain has been placed in jeopardy," Heslop said.

Among projects being dropped are child health programmes. Medics warn that if 5.6 million children are left unvaccinated, this could cause up to 100,000 deaths.

Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB's chief executive, said the vote "is a disaster for the world's poorest people, With more people in need of humanitarian assistance than at any time since World War II, aid is needed more than ever. The cuts to UK aid are having a direct impact on thousands of lives today, and a delay in restoring aid will be felt for generations to come in parts of the world ravaged by conflict, climate change, and Covid-19 pandemic."

He said there was a gap between the rhetoric of 'Global Britain' and "the reality of a government breaking its promises to the world's poorest and further undermining the UK's credibility on the international stage".

"These cuts won't balance the books; the government is putting politics above the lives of world's most vulnerable communities," he said. memory, and for girls in particular, the chance for an education could be lost forever."

Global Justice Now said MPs who voted to support the government's cut to international aid have "blood on their hands".

Christian Aid said the last-minute 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: "This reckless and controversial vote will essentially decimate aid for years to come. It beggars belief that, in the middle of a global pandemic with extreme poverty rising, we are turning our backs on the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world.

"Rather than listening to current and former archbishops, cardinals and church leaders across the UK, this last minute vote speaks of a government trying to escape its responsibilities to the world's poorest people.

"This decision will do untold damage to Britain's standing and reputation at home and abroad. We will continue to oppose these cuts. Now more than ever, the UK should be leading the way in tackling crises such as climate change, Covid, and conflict that are affecting so many of the world's poorest communities."

LINKS

ICN 24 April 2021 - Archbishops condemn UK aid cuts - www.indcatholicnews.com/news/41932

ICN 1 July 2021 Lord Alton on aid cuts- 'We have broken our word and broken trust' - www.indcatholicnews.com/news/42543