The new U.K. coalition government has named another Conservative for a leadership post at the Department for International Development. He is Alan Duncan, who now serves as minister of state for international development and works under recently appointed Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell.
Duncan has been a member of parliament since 1992. He became vice-chairman of the Conservative Party and parliamentary political secretary to Rt. Hon. William Hague in 1997.
The new British international development minister has held several posts in the shadow cabinet, including shadow secretary for trade industry and energy, shadow leader of the House, and shadow minister for prisons and probation.
Meanwhile, development nonprofits welcomed the new leadership team at DfID. ActionAid is pleased that Mitchell is focusing his attention on aid effectiveness, “something ActionAid has worked on for many years.” Progressio said it is “delighted” that the new government has asserted its commitment to bring aid spending to 0.7 percent of the national income.
