Civil servants fear for jobs amid aid blow
HUNDREDS of civil servants in Scotland face an uncertain future after Boris Johnson announced the Department for International Development is being folded into the Foreign Office.
The Prime Minister’s annoucement drew criticism from across politics and led charities to warn the move could lead to more children dying from famine and disease.
Johnson said bringing the £15billion overseas aid budget under the control of the Foreign Secretary means “getting maximum value for the British taxpayer”. He also claimed aid spending is being treated like “some giant cashpoint in the sky”.
The pledge to spend 0.7 per cent of Britain’s income on overseas development will stay.
But former PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown condemned Johnson’s plan and David Cameron said it would ultimately lead to “less respect for the UK overseas”.
Oxfam GB boss Danny Sriskandarajah said: “With half a billion people at risk of being pushed into poverty, the UK should be stepping up to protect lives but is instead choosing to step back.
“This decision puts politics above the needs of the poorest people and will mean more people around the world will die unnecessarily from hunger and disease.”
Stephanie Draper, chief executive of Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development, said: “Make no mistake, this decision will do nothing but hurt the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.”
The 600 DfID staff who work in East Kilbride only learned of the announcement through leaked reports before Johnson stood up in the Commons.
Despite Johnson’s assurances that staff will remain in place, local SNP MSP Linda Fabiani was alarmed.
She said: “Today’s announcement is a real blow to the local community. Workers in my constituency could now face an uncertain future.”
Labour’s Ian Murray MP said: “If this ill-judged merger goes ahead, it is vital the jobs in East Kilbride are protected.”