Commenting ahead of the vote in Parliament on cuts to the international aid budget, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for International Development, Layla Moran MP, said: “Britain made a promise to the poorest and most vulnerable people in the world. Going back on our word would be thoroughly un-British and a stain on our global reputation for decades to come.
“The consequences of this aid cut are devastating – sick children will no longer receive aid, girls will lose their right to go to school, and some of the most essential projects for ending the generational cycle of poverty will be slashed.
“Liberal Democrats welcome the Government’s decision to allow a vote on the cut, which will open the door to a return to meeting Britain’s promise. But today’s announcement is a halfway house. Restoring the target next year will do nothing to stop the horrendous impact of the cut right now – an impact which will be felt from Ethiopia to Afghanistan.
“The fundamental case has not changed: from defeating Covid-19 to tackling climate change, international development spending is in our national interest. It’s a national embarrassment that the likes of Bill Gates and other philanthropists have had to step in to plug the indefensible aid gap.
“Every single Tory MP stood on a manifesto commitment to keeping our promise to the poorest people in the world. Liberal Democrats will continue to urge Boris Johnson to restore the aid budget – now, and in full. Anything less is a broken promise.”