Minister in denial over aid scandals
Patel says reports of wasted cash are ‘never 100% true’ ... but can’t provide ANY examples
PRITI Patel was accused of being in denial about how her aid department wastes money as she claimed there had not been a single story about the overseas spending that was ‘100 per cent accurate’.
The International Development Secretary claimed she was a ‘nobulls*** person’ and was ‘running a lean and mean ship’.
But she accused the media of inaccurately reporting how the Department for International Development has been lavishing taxpayers’ money on wasteful projects.
Miss Patel said she had been in ‘goal defence’ following a string of negative headlines about foreign aid, including revelations about how it had funded Ethiopia’s Spice Girls and cash machine handouts in Pakistan.
During a trip to Somalia, she told the Guardian: ‘Newspapers could twist up a story every day about UK aid, but to date there hasn’t been one that’s been 100 per cent accurate. Part of my job has to be to demonstrate the value of UK aid.’
Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge said Miss Patel was ‘in denial about UK foreign aid’. He said: ‘ There are billions wasted every year in aid spending when that money is needed in the UK. I suspect she would be hard pushed to find anyone outside Whitehall who thinks her department is using UK taxpayers’ money wisely.’
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: ‘Miss Patel is deep in an Egyptian river blowing bubbles when confronted with the waste of taxpayers’ money on foreign projects. Yes, she’s in denial. It’s time to get dry, get real and instead spend our money on projects for the needy at home.’
Last night when challenged to substantiate her claims of inaccurate reporting, Miss Patel declined. The Daily Mail presented the Secretary of State with a selection of seven stories published in the last year about aid spending and asked for her to point out any errors, but she was unable to do so.
Ministers are under pressure to improve how Britain spends money abroad after Theresa May pledged at the election to keep David Cameron’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas development. Critics have argued that it is wrong that the aid budget has spiralled to £13billion when there is a shortage of cash for spending at home.
Miss Patel yesterday defended the ever-increasing handouts, claiming that they had a positive impact on the country as well as the wider world. She said: ‘The truth is that UK development influence is massive, greater than our foreign policy, and this isn’t just about money. Britain is saving lives and bringing stability and security, and that’s good for our economy and for what comes to our doorstep.’ She added: ‘I’m a money girl. My background is economics. On accountability I’m everybody’s worst nightmare. I’m running a lean and mean ship. And I’m a no-bulls*** person when it comes to calling out finance ministers or the World Bank.’
A Dfid spokesman yesterday declined to point out any inaccuracies in any of the Daily Mail stories on foreign aid presented to them.