Jul 2021. Reduction of Foreign Aid

In light of the damage caused to the public finances by the coronavirus crisis, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced today that foreign aid spending will be reduced to 0.5% of GDP – a reduction of £5bn. Such a move is controversial in political circles. David Cameron and fellow former Prime Minister Tony Blair have both described the move as a “strategic mistake”, while former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell has said the cuts will cause "100,000 preventable deaths, mainly among children". One group among whom the cut is not controversial, however, is the British public. New YouGov research conducted in the run-up to the announcement shows that two thirds (66%) say that reducing the amount spent on overseas aid is the right decision. Only 18% think it is the wrong call. The People of the UK use Common-Sense once again.