The government is seeing a backlash after slashing foreign aid – 12 decisive downvotes

After being forced to put the matter to parliament for a vote, the government has managed to lock in a decision to cut overseas aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of Gross National Income, breaking a manifesto pledge from the last election.

£4bn cut to this year's UK foreign aid budget backed by MPs in Commons votehttps://t.co/w9yN2fafNJ

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) July 13, 2021

The vote had been forced by a band of backbench Tory rebels, including Theresa May, who voted against the party whip for the first time.

"Fewer girls will be educated, more girls and boys will become slaves, more children will go hungry, and more of poorest people in world will die.”

Former PM @theresa_may has said she will vote against the government on foreign aid cuts pic.twitter.com/Pm2p89Rv8s

— PoliticsHome (@politicshome) July 13, 2021

Andrew Mitchell wasn’t convinced that the cut would be as temporary as Rishi Sunak was claiming.

Tory MP Andrew Mitchell arguing against the foreign aid cut warns of how long it would take to return spending to 0.7% under the govt's proposed new double lock : only one year in the last twenty would qualify. He warns of an odour coming from under the door of his Party.

— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) July 13, 2021

Even outside parliament, dyed-in-the-wool Tories spoke out.

Ex-PM Sir John Major furious about foreign aid cuts – suggesting Govt’s plan is “the stamp of Little England, not Great Britain”.

Some Tory MPs fear consequences in Southern seats where Lib Dems are already snapping at their heels. pic.twitter.com/2SoEIEBsYg

— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) July 13, 2021

Of course, it wasn’t just the PM’s own party with objections.

The Conservatives have just voted to cut international aid.

Cutting aid to help the world's poorest during a pandemic is callous – and not in our national interest.

Boris Johnson is damaging Britain's reputation around the world.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 13, 2021

A lot of people weren’t happy with the result. Here’s what they said.

1.

They didn't want to feed kids at home. They don't want to support the poorest abroad. Devoid of empathy, care and compassion, this government stands for nobody but themselves. https://t.co/FEBZoppidG

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 13, 2021

2.

and we diminish with every vote…. https://t.co/9Gf84bzYu6

— Deborah Meaden 💙 (@DeborahMeaden) July 13, 2021

3.

Taps the meme https://t.co/bkzSuI4Ksg pic.twitter.com/Mf25FrEmoO

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) July 13, 2021

4.

Apparently the Royal yacht is going to help strike trade deals by boosting the UK’s soft power

The soft power we’ve just obliterated by cutting foreign aid

— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) July 13, 2021

5.

Conservative MPs: Foreign aid should be cut because we should feed our own kids first.

Also Conservative MPs: Free school meals should be cut because feeding kids isn't our responsibility. https://t.co/dCzpHs4xE0

— Zarah Sultana MP (@zarahsultana) July 13, 2021

6.

Cutting foreign aid is about placating the nasties. Nothing more than that. They talked of Global Britain they delivered mean spirited Little England.

— Otto English (@Otto_English) July 13, 2021

7.

Prime Minister: "We will return to 7% budget spending on foreign aid as soon as two important tests have been met. First, a tall black-haired woman with green eyes must go on a quest to return the Dragon's Egg to Mount Doom, and second, Elvis must tour again."

— Davey Six-Toes (@HutchinsonDave) July 13, 2021

8.

This country has a *statutory duty* to spend 0.7 per cent of GNI on aid, and it wasn’t some bleeding heart liberal treasurer who put that into law, it was George sodding Osbourne https://t.co/MQ9gQA3uNq

— Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley (@lottelydia) July 13, 2021

9.

"We can't afford foreign aid, we need to look after our own" says government that voted not to feed hungry kids or pay for kids to catch up on missed schooling and is cutting support to the poorest and most vulnerable by £20 a week.

— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 13, 2021

10.

i see Boris Johnson's 'Global Britain' is *squints* cutting aid for the world's poorest people

— Toby Earle (@TobyonTV) July 13, 2021

11.

You know what’s even more racist than not condemning people for booing football players? Hundreds of MPs voting to cut aid to people in the global south.

— Shahmir Sanni (@shahmiruk) July 14, 2021

12.

No doubt it will be now be left to #MarcusRashford to reinstate the aid budget. #aidcuts #ToryBritain

— Brendan May (@bmay) July 14, 2021

If anybody doubts the range of the effect of the cut, here’s another angle from James O’Brien.

The cuts to foreign aid just voted for by 333 Tory MPs will hit the department that funded the research that led to the Astra Zeneca vaccine. https://t.co/wseSlfkP5K

— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) July 13, 2021

READ MORE

We’re at the “MPs telling poor people how to cook” stage of the school meals argument

Source BBC News Image Screengrab