Chancellor hints bloated £12bn overseas aid budget could be cut after 2020
Philip Hammond said all Government spending commitments and ‘ringfences’ would be reviewed when party manifestos are drawn up
THE CHANCELLOR last night raised Tory hopes that Britain’s bloated overseas aid could be cut after the 2020 Election.
Challenged about the huge £12billion fund, Philip Hammond said all Government spending commitments and ringfences would be reviewed when party manifestos are drawn up.
But aides immediately insisted he was talking “broadly” and hadn’t meant to signal the controversial aid budget could shrink.
Ex-PM David Cameron passed a law to ensure Britain spends 0.7 per cent of its economic output helping other nations – far above the US and Europe.
Mr Hammond insisted aid was a manifesto commitment in the current Parliament.
Pressed on possible changes in the future, he said: “Later on in the Parliament we will have a spending review.
“That is the right time to look in the round at all the commitments that have made been made for this Parliament tax commitments, spending commitments, ringfences and so on.
“Because there will be a decision around priorities, looking at the objectives when these policies were originally introduced, the extent to whether they have been delivered or not.”
Mr Hammond was Foreign Secretary when The Sun last year revealed the Foreign Office had spent a fortune ‘Funding Nemo’ – a project to find female mates for a fish in Madagascar.
Earlier yesterday Theresa May insisted Britain was “proud” to meet its 0.7 per cent target.
She told a London conference: “Lives are being saved right now because of it.”
But she added the money had to go “to the right places”.