Britain | Foreign aid

Britain is no longer a leader in international giving

A cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income is only one sign of that

THANKS TO SOCIAL distancing and the wartime atmosphere created by the covid-19 pandemic, the House of Commons has not been a terribly dramatic place for the past year. The vote on foreign aid on July 13th was an exception. MPs lambasted the Conservative government’s decision to cut aid, accusing it of abandoning the world’s indigent at the worst possible time. Even Theresa May, the previous prime minister, rebelled—the first time she has voted against a Conservative three-line whip since becoming an MP 24 years ago.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The final cut”

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