Boris Johnson has been warned by the Commons Speaker that he must give MP a chance to debate and vote on the cut in the UK’s overseas aid budget in short order.
Lindsay Hoyle spoke as a Conservative rebel amendment to reverse the Government’s cuts was ruled outside the scope of the bill which faced major opposition within the party’s ranks.
The Speaker, who is the powerful chair of the House of Commons, offered an emergency debate on the issue on Tuesday instead as he made it clear the Prime Minister should allow MPs to have a vote on a decision to cut aid spending from 07. per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP.
But the vote at the end of an emergency debate would not be binding on the government and would expose Tory rebels to punishment for no reward.
Explaining his decision to MPs Hoyle said: “I expect that the Government should find a way to have this important matter debated and to allow the House formally to take an effective decision.”
“I should say that, on an exceptional basis, I will consider whether to hear any Standing Order Number 24 applications at 5.30pm today, for a debate to be held tomorrow.”
Former Conservative international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, who led the rebellion, said the Government could have lost by up to 20 votes if there had been a division, despite a working majority of more than 80.
He said : “The Government frontbench is treating the House of Commons with disrespect."
Preet Kaur Gill MP, Labour’s Shadow International Development Secretary, said that Johnson was going to lengths to avoid a vote in parliament on the decision which has been criticised by all living former Prime Ministers.
She said: “The strength and depth of support for protecting the aid we send to help the world’s poorest is clear.”
“The Conservative Government is leaving the UK isolated among wealthy countries by being the only one to cut this budget. A failure to reverse the cuts would entirely undermine our ability to solve global challenges, from the pandemic to the climate crisis.
“Rather than trying to evade another vote, the Government must end its retreat and reaffirm its commitment to spending 0.7% of national income with a clear timeline.”
Sam Nadel, Oxfam’s Head of Policy and Advocacy the missed vote was “bitterly disappointing” and called on parliament to vote on keeping its promise to voters and the world’s most vulnerable people by restoring the 0.7 per cent pledge.
He said: “Devastating cuts to the UK’s aid budget risk the lives of thousands of people already struggling to survive in some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises as well as cope with the effects of the Covid-19 crisis.
“As the country prepares to welcome G7 leaders, the Government continues to undermine the UK’s credibility on the international stage while its commitments to the world’s poorest are abandoned.”
