Labour Pledges to Defend International Development
Labour Pledges to Defend International Development
Shadow Secretary of State for International Development Kate Osamor will today say a Labour Government would defend international development, clampdown on tax havens and end the self-regulation of DFID private contractors.
In a passionate defence of international development, Kate Osamor will say: “Development aid is not a dirty word… it is not a blank cheque. It is a question of social justice and human rights.”
Speaking to an audience at Chatham House, in London, Kate Osamor will say a Labour Government would:
- ‘Remain profoundly committed’ to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on international development
- Take decisive action on tax havens. All territories which enjoy the protection of the UK for their financial stability, foreign policy and/or security policy must adhere to a minimum standard of transparency in relation to company and trust ownership
- End the self-regulation of DFID private contractors
- Reinstate the Civil Society Challenge Fund, abolished by the Tories. This fund supported trade unions, women’s associations and other civil society organisations in the Global South to mounting their own advocacy challenges in defence of human rights, including workers’ rights
- Pledge to put conflict resolution, human rights and social justice at the heart of British Foreign Policy
Kate Osamor will tell the audience:
“Labour and the UK have a proud record on International Development. But I’ve seen the Tory approach to international development and it’s not Priti.
“This Tory Government has turned aid into a dirty word. Its agenda is to politicise, privatise and securitise development aid.
“The Tories and their friends in the right wing press are doing to development aid what they did to welfare. They highlight isolated case studies of bad practise to whip up public anger against the poor. These countries are not ‘benefit cheats.’ They’re our partners and friends.
“Development aid has become a punch bag for the conservative media and Brexiteer Tory MPs. The same people who campaigned to take us out of the EU now want us to exit out of our commitment to the developing world.
“Labour made meeting the UK’s aid obligations a permanent feature of British politics, and the development and improvements in hundreds of millions of peoples’ lives has been a credit to humanity.
“But for an incoming Labour Government, under Jeremy Corbyn we will go further and have pledged to put conflict resolution, human rights and social justice at the heart of British Foreign Policy.
“So there is a stark choice at this imminent general election for the direction of development and Britain’s role on the global stage.
“Labour’s approach to international development is the same as our approach to economic development at home. Tackle poverty, uphold human rights and deliver social justice.
“Labour will not only defend development aid… but our approach will advance development assistance. Because poverty is political. Human rights are political and must be fought for.
“Development aid is not a dirty word… it is not a blank cheque. It is a question of social justice and human rights.”
Ends
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