Foreign aid cut could be blocked in court, critics warn Chancellor

RISHI SUNAK’S attempt to cut foreign aid could be thwarted in Parliament after it emerged that legislation may be required to enable the £4 billion reduction to go ahead.

Last night senior Tories warned the Government would have “serious problems” forcing through the planned reduction of aid from 0.7 per cent of gross national income to 0.5 per cent.

Mr Sunak is expected to confirm the 12-month cut in today’s comprehensive spending review, arguing that a brief cut to overseas aid is justified at a time of severe economic hardship at home.

However, while exemptions in the International Development Act allow the Government to miss its aid target in certain circumstances, critics argue these can only apply retrospectively.

It means Dominic Raab, who as Foreign Secretary is the minister responsible for the commitment, could face a legal challenge if the Government seeks to declare in advance that it intends to miss the target.

Whitehall sources confirmed yesterday that the Treasury had asked lawyers to assess whether legislation may now be required in order to prevent the cut being judicially reviewed.

The Daily Telegraph understands that the Chancellor has privately conceded that MPS may have to be given a vote.

The disclosure prompted a last-ditch attempt by moderate “One Nation” Tories to persuade Boris Johnson to shelve the plan, warning that he could face a major backbench rebellion.

Damian Green, chairman of the One

Nation Caucus of MPS, said that dozens of Conservative MPS could defy the whip if the cut was put to a vote.

While Mr Johnson has a majority of 80 in the Commons, the One Nation Caucus makes up approximately one third of the Parliamentary party – more than enough to overturn it.

“If the Government tries to pass a law effectively repealing the current obligations on aid they will have severe problems getting it through the Commons,” Mr Green said. “There is a lot of unease across the Conservative Party about breaking manifesto commitments.”

His comments were echoed by Andrew Mitchell, a former international development secretary, who said: “Many of us are very sympathetic to the Chancellor and want to give him strong support. But the 0.7 target is a promise to the poorest in the world, quite apart from being a manifesto commitment.”

Baroness Davidson, the former Scottish Conservative leader, is the latest figure to criticise the move, arguing that it is a “counterproductive choice – morally, economically and politically”.

Writing for The Times, she said any “plaudits” would go to Mr Sunak, while the Prime Minister would endure the backlash from other world leaders and the international community.

Dozens of charities, church leaders, former heads of the armed forces and Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist, have also urged Mr Johnson to reconsider. Staging a joint intervention last week, former prime ministers David Cameron and Tony Blair told The

that Mr Johnson was at risk of jeopardising Britain’s “soft power” status on the global stage.