Responding to news that the Government motion has passed, meaning a cut in UK aid, Romilly Greenhill, UK Director of The ONE Campaign, said:

“Today’s result is a needless retreat from the world stage, enforced by the Treasury, at the exact moment the UK should be showing leadership and stepping up to the greatest global crises in our lifetimes. It’s akin to cutting the RAF during the Battle of Britain. 

“This so-called compromise effectively means the end of the 0.7 commitment, and will diminish Britain’s global standing. The real losers of this vote are the 3 million children who will no longer be able to go to school, the half a million children who will die from preventable diseases, and the 3 million women and children who will go hungry. 

“This is also a retreat from British values – and sends a sorry message about the type of country the UK wants to be. At the Autumn Spending Review the Government will need to pull off some financial gymnastics, finding the money needed to crack the crises that the world is facing right now.”