Lisa Nandy stated that if Labour were in power, they would decrease the amount of foreign aid provided to countries, focusing instead on the poorest nations rather than middle-income ones.
The meeting of NGOs at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) this week was addressed by the opposition’s international development secretary, who proposed a change in the direction of aid and pledged that Labour would adopt a more calculated strategy, centered around the unique strengths of Britain.
According to Nandy, who has sought advice from multiple former ministers of development aid, the current minister, Andrew Mitchell, informed her that UK aid was being distributed to 33 countries at the end of Labour’s term in 2010.
“We are currently operating with a budget that is only a fraction of our previous amount,” she stated. Nandy emphasized that a Labour government would never abruptly cut off support for countries that depend on us.
However, it is currently not 1997 and our economy is not double that of China’s. Additionally, the majority of the world’s debt is not owed to countries like ours.
Amid discussions within her party, Nandy shares her thoughts on how they should handle foreign aid.
Some people are pushing for the Labour party to increase aid spending to 0.7% of GDP quickly. However, the government has stated that they will only do so when it is feasible, as the target was abandoned under Boris Johnson’s leadership. Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, is reportedly involved in talks to ensure that Britain is getting the most out of their aid spending.
According to Nandy, our first priority should be making sure that our developmental funds are used for development purposes and not consistently taken away by poorly managed branches throughout Whitehall. She specifically mentioned the Home Office’s misuse of the funds on refugees and asylum seekers in the UK.
This is not a good use of funds. It is causing a depletion of necessary resources and damages our trustworthiness as a dependable partner worldwide.
According to Nandy, Labour is considering the possibility of the British government offering assurances to developing nations at risk of overwhelming debt, while also supporting efforts to establish a global definition of unsustainable debt.
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“She stated that the UK houses the City of London and serves as the legal authority for resolving numerous debts. It is our responsibility to offer assistance to these nations, as they depend on us.”
NGOs like Save the Children and Oxfam are expected to exert significant pressure on Labour to increase the aid budget to 0.7% of national income. Charities, including those that spoke out against UK aid cuts last year, warned that the cuts would be catastrophic for children living in the most perilous regions of the world.
Source: theguardian.com
