LONDON — Aid experts have heralded Rory Stewart as the United Kingdom’s most qualified international development secretary to date — but some have warned that his expertise could spell change for the U.K. Department for International Development.
Stewart was announced as DFID’s new leader last week as part of a ministerial reshuffle and was broadly welcomed by the aid community for his experience and commitment to the development agenda. He previously served as a junior minister in the department, as well as in the military and foreign service where he focused on conflict and post-conflict countries.
The former diplomat has also run an NGO in Afghanistan and wrote a critique of western development efforts there: too removed from local contexts, lacking expertise, and on-the-ground experience.