Years before the United Kingdom’s current development minister took on the post, she publicly demanded a law change widely seen as critical for low-income countries drowning in debt — provoking calls for her to now stand by her words.
In April 2021, Anneliese Dodds urged the then-Conservative government to require private lenders to join debt relief agreements reached by governments and multilateral creditors, calling it a “powerful statement” of U.K. “leadership.”
“The UK Government should stand up to the profiteers by changing the law that governs their debt,” Dodds posted on Twitter, now X, in her capacity as shadow chancellor. Also included in her post was her full letter on the subject to then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
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.
