OREANDA-NEWS. Five former British prime ministers opposed the idea of ​​the current head of government Boris Johnson to cut the cost of providing economic assistance to foreign countries in order to reduce the burden on the country’s budget in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Times reported about this before the presentation of the relevant government bill.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is going to submit a bill that will allow the government to reduce the amount of funds that will be allocated to aid foreign countries in 2021, from 0.7 % of the country’s gross national income (GNI) to 0.5 %.

To allocate 0.7 % of GNI for economic assistance abroad was first proposed by the United Nations in 1970. In 2013, Great Britain became the first country of the Group of Seven to make such a commitment.

Opponents of even a temporary cut in foreign aid include all Johnson’s predecessors since 1990: Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major.