The UK government merges foreign policy and development aid departments. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this today in Parliament in London. Development aid should thus be used more in the interests of British interests in the future, according to the conservative politician.
„The UK taxpayer has the right to expect us to get the most value out of every pound spent,“ said the Prime Minister. The coronavirus pandemic has shown that the distinction between diplomacy and international development aid is „artificial and outdated“. Vulnerable countries would need support to improve their health systems.
It makes no sense to differentiate between aid from development aid and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both served national interest, Johnson said.
Labor criticism
Labor Party opposition leader Keir Starmer criticized the move as a diversion to divert attention from the government’s poor performance in the coronavirus pandemic. „We are in the midst of a health crisis and an economic crisis, and the government should focus entirely on it,“ said Starmer.
Former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron described the decision as an „error“. His predecessors Gordon Brown and Tony Blair (both Labor) were also dissatisfied with the merger of the ministries.
