Oxfam’s scandal must not harden our hearts

THE Oxfam revelations have been very hard to stomach. Sickening stories of exploitation and abuse that have clouded the hard work that thousands of their volunteers do up and down the UK and all over the world every single day.

Those responsible must be held to account. There has to be accountability for these awful events and there must be action to ensure that it never happens again. But we can’t let the scandal turn into a smokescreen for a Tory Government who have made no secret of wanting to cut their contributions towards aid at any and every opportunity.

A bandwagon is being jumped on, with Tories eager to scrap the UK’s duty to contribute 0.7 per cent of its GDP towards helping those in need. There are UK charities who carry out life-saving and unrivalled work for those who have nothing and who have been through hellish experiences. Whether it’s for needs close to home or on the other side of the world, ordinary folk dig deep and give generously – that is something we should be proud of and something that we should not let the behaviour of some alter.

We can’t allow these horrific transgressions to overshadow our role in the world in helping those in most need. That’s why it’s important Oxfam are held to account, and why it’s also important we don’t forget to care about those who need our help, and keep giving.