A group of Conservative rightwingers are plotting an attempt to torpedo the high-profile new international development bill that would protect spending on foreign aid, senior Liberal Democrats fear.
The passage of the legislation is on a knife-edge because some Tory MPs have laid dozens of wrecking amendments to make it run out of parliamentary time when it is debated in the House of Commons on Friday morning.
The idea of a enshrining a commitment to spending 0.7% of national income on foreign aid was part of the coalition agreement but, after the Conservatives dragged their feet, it has ended up getting brought forward as a backbench bill by former Lib Dem cabinet minister Michael Moore.
Despite it not being an official government bill, parliament overwhelmingly voted for the international development bill at its second reading and committee stage, with a handful opposing it.
However, the small group of Conservatives – Philip Davies, David Nuttall, Christopher Chope and Jacob Rees-Mogg – appear to be taking advantage of the fact that the report stage of the legislation is taking place on a Friday, when many MPs are in their constituencies.
Amid fears the bill could now be killed off at the hands of a small group of Tories, the Liberal Democrats are now hauling some of their MPs back from Scotland, while Conservative and Labour supporters of the legislation are ringing round to drum up numbers to be in parliament.
Davies, the MP for Shipley, has said the bill is “a handout to make a few middle class, Guardian-reading, sandal-wearing, lentil-eating do-gooders with a misguided guilt complex feel better about themselves”. He declined to comment when asked about his amendments by the Guardian on Thursday.
Foreign aid has been a contentious subject within the Conservative party, with Philip Hammond, the foreign secretary last month saying the idea of enshrining it in law is “bizarre”. Some backbenchers fear losing support over the issue to Ukip, which has campaigned to drastically reduce the foreign aid budget in favour of domestic spending.
George Osborne, the chancellor, gave a spirited defence of foreign aid in the House of Commons on Wednesday, congratulating Gordon Brown, the former Labour prime minister and chancellor, for his work in the area.
Moore needs 40 MPs to be present when the debate begins at 9.30am and more than 100 when the votes start around 11.30am, but the bill’s supporters fear many parliamentarians will be in their constituencies given the election is just six months away.
Those supporting the bill will have to fight against any Conservative MPs trying to filibuster and talk the bill out, making sure the proceedings are wrapped up before the end of the day at 2.30pm.
Moore, who was Scottish secretary until last year, said the legislation would “stabilise and transform lives”. “That is why it has overwhelming cross party support and the support of the public. It was in every parties’ manifesto, and has been well supported so far,” he said. “It should not be the case that one or two MPs who are opposed to it can use parliamentary trickery to block the bill.”
Mary Creagh, the shadow international development secretary, said the failure of the bill would be seen as another broken promise from David Cameron.
“This is the last chance that MPs will have in this parliament to honour a pledge that was made in the coalition agreement to the world’s poorest people. Failure tomorrow will be seen as David Cameron breaking not just his pledge to the British people but also to some of the poorest people in the world.”
Flora Alexander, Save the Children’s head of government relations, said the bill was receiving “an amazing amount of cross-party support and we now need to ensure the one or two voices on the fringe don’t frustrate the will of the House and the commitment that was in all three main parties’ manifestos”.
Emma Harrison, head of communication at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), an international development charity, said there was a “real risk that this bill will be talked down so we urge MPs from all parties to keep their promise to the world’s poor and turn up to support this critical vote”.
Oxfam’s head of UK policy, programmes and campaigns Nick Bryer, said: “This is a chance for MPs to reconfirm the UK’s status as a global leader in the fight against poverty. The UK has already met its target of spending 0.7% of our income supporting the people hit hardest by poverty, conflict and disasters across the world. British aid has a huge impact by, for example, improving access to education, medical care and clean water.
“This long-term commitment was in the manifestos of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour as well as in the coalition agreement, and MPs have a responsibility to deliver on their promise.”
A government spokesman said: “The coalition government remains committed to investing 0.7% of our national income in overseas development.
“As part of this, we will continue to support the private member’s bill going through Parliament, which looks to enshrine this commitment in law.”
