July 5, 2021
2 mins read

Boris mulls backtracking on foreign aid cuts

Davis told BBC Radio 4 last month that potentially lifesaving schemes had already been canceled as a result of the move…reports Asian Lite News.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to backtrack and offer the lawmakers a vote on foreign aid cuts as warnings mount that the move risks the Conservatives’ reputation.

The Sunday Times reported that Johnson is “actively considering” plans to allow MPs a binding vote on the £4 billion ($5.6 billion) cuts to the overseas aid budget before the parliamentary summer recess, according to its sources.

Although Johnson has yet to give his official view on the proposal, it is understood he has been advised to grant the vote or risk MPs bringing forward another rebel amendment, the Times reported.

Former Prime Minister Theresa May and Brexit Secretary David Davis (Number 10 Flickr)

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis is among 50 Conservative rebel MPs, including former Prime Minister Theresa May, who are planning to vote against a proposal to cut the foreign aid budget from 0.7 percent of gross domestic product to 0.5 percent despite the party committing to maintaining the figure in its 2019 general election manifesto, according to a report appeared in the Arab News.

The policy change is going to hit hard on countries such as Syria, Yemen, Libya and Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Downing Street has maintained that the cuts are a temporary measure due to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, but has offered no timeframe for returning to the 0.7 percent target.

Davis told BBC Radio 4 last month that potentially lifesaving schemes had already been canceled as a result of the move.

In June, Johnson avoided a parliamentary defeat after MPs were blocked from voting on an amendment to the proposed cuts, which had been proposed by Conservative rebels.

Last month, the UK has helped to clear Sudan’s debt and supported its economic recovery.

Last month, Sudan’s $1.4 billion in arrears owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had been cleared, allowing it to access new financing to boost its economic recovery.

The clearing of its arrears was supported with £36 million from UK reserves at the IMF.

An additional £148 million one-day loan from the UK, announced by the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in May, has previously helped Sudan clear its arrears at the African Development Bank.

ALSO READ-HK suspends UK passenger flights

READ MORE-UK Opens New Immigration Route For Graduates

Previous Story

Govt to setup new building safety regulator

Next Story

Queen honours NHS staff for Covid service

Latest from -Top News

Jaishankar Meets Think Tank in Russia

EAM Jaishankar’s visit comes at the invitation of Denis Manturov, the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation….reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday met with leading

Starvation crisis deepens in Gaza

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five had doubled between March and June…reports Asian Lite News Three Palestinians in Gaza

PM Modi: India poised to lead next tech wave

PM Modi underscored that the country is poised to lead the next wave of digital transformation in 5G…reports Asian Lite News Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed India’s progress in expanding

‘Sky Not the Limit for India-Japan Ties’

Emphasising the civilisational ties between India and Japan, the Ambassador called the bilateral relationship a “quantum leap” in recent years…reports Asian Lite News In an exclusive interview, India’s Ambassador to Japan, Sibi
Go toTop