The United Kingdom has undermined its legal commitment to use aid to fight poverty over the last three “turbulent” years, a new study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has found.
A midterm review of performance since late 2020 — when the U.K.’s steep aid cuts were announced and its Department for International Development was axed — criticized the way billions of pounds have been diverted to the domestic costs of hosting refugees and a failure to provide accurate data.
OECD urges the government to cap domestic aid spending to “protect” the budget of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — as recommended almost one year ago by the U.K.’s own aid watchdog.
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About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
