Re: ‘Protect Our Aid Promise’
The Labour party has been demanding that Ministers keep their promise to legislate on 0.7% for years. It was a Labour government that put this country on the road to fulfilling that historic commitment, it was Labour whose pledge to legislate forced the other two parties to follow suit, and it is Labour that has shouted loud and most often about this government’s failure to do so.
Indeed, as you may know it was Labour’s Mark Hendrick, MP for Preston, who first forced the issue with this Coalition government by presenting his own Private Members Bill to legislate on the UK’s aid commitments.
The Labour Party is proud of our record on development. The last Labour government helped 3 million people out of poverty a year, and 40 million people into education, tripled aid and dropped the debt, and built international coalitions to secure agreements that were right for Britain and the world.
British aid makes a huge difference to millions – we should be proud of what our generosity can do for those in need and what it says about us as a country. That’s why Labour will do everything we can to ensure that this Bill becomes a law. We know that the Tory right will do everything they can to hold us back, but whatever they do, I along with my Labour colleagues will not turn our back on those in need.
I hope this is of some help and if I can be of assistance to you again in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
HUW IRRANCA-DAVIES
MP for Ogmore
You can read a PDF of this letter here.
