Hundreds of civil servants in Scotland face an uncertain future after Boris Johnson announced the merger of the Department of International Development with the Foreign Office.
Johnson’s announcement that he is folding the aid department back into the Foreign Office has been condemned across the board and drew rare criticism from former Prime Minister David Cameron.
Despite Johnson’s assurances that the 948 staff at the East Kilbride DfID office will remain in the merged Foreign Office, local politicians rang alarm bells.
Linda Fabiani, the SNP MSP for East Kilbride who has campaigned against previous merger plans, said Johnson had put the future of hundreds of Scottish jobs on the line.
She said: “You simply can’t trust the Tories. Today’s announcement is a real blow to the local community here in East Kilbride, especially in the current circumstances we all find ourselves in.
“Despite assurances, workers in my constituency could now face an uncertain future.”
Ian Murray MP, Labour’s Shadow Scottish secretary said: “This is a wrong-headed move from a Prime Minister who is out of his depth.
“Labour created the Department for International Development and provided global leadership that ensured Britain was a moral force for good in the world.
“As part of the UK, Scotland plays a vital role in the fight against global poverty through the work led by DfID staff in East Kilbride.
“If this ill-judged merger goes ahead, it is vital the jobs in East Kilbride are fully protected.”
Staff in East Kilbride only learned of the announcement through leaked reports before Johnson stood up in the Commons.
Mark Serwotka, head of the PCS civil service union, said: “This has come to a shock to staff. Such a major change will be costly and take months of planning. Yet the PM expects it to be up and running within three months in the midst of a national crisis.
“There has been absolutely no consultation with the trade unions and we are concerned that this merger is driven by cutbacks and not about making improvements to international aid and diplomacy.”
In the Commons Johnson argued the new set-up would “unite our aid with our diplomacy and bring them together in our international effort”.
Johnson, who previously served as foreign secretary, said “distinctions between diplomacy and overseas development” were “artificial and outdated”.
The department, which has hundreds of staff in East Kilbride and Whitehall, was spun out of the Foreign Office under Tony Blair’s government in the 1990s.
It has oversight of the UK’s multi- billion pound overseas aid budget, which sees Britain contribute 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income in development assistance.
DfID works to end extreme poverty and, over its 22 years in existence, has saved millions of lives.
The East Kilbride office, which produces around £30 million for the local economy, has led the world in tackling Ebola, gender inequality, the crisis in Syria and the provision of lifesaving aid in emergencies.
Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the PM of the "tactics of pure distraction“ on a day when the Government has already shifted position on free school meals and labour market figures have shown a sharp spike in those out of work.
Starmer added: “I want to see Britain as a moral force for good in the world.”
He added: “We don’t achieve that by abolishing a department that has done so much to tackle poverty and injustice.”
The move even prompted former Tory PM David Cameron to make a very rare criticism of Johnson.
He said abolishing the International Development Department was a “mistake” that will lead to the UK being less respected abroad.
Since leaving No 10 in 2016 Cameron has avoided criticising his successors, even though Theresa May and Boris Johnson have pursued policies he would not support.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown also criticised the decision saying Boris Johnson was “abolishing one of the UK’s great international assets”.
