Coffee House Interview: Andrew Mitchell

The government has stuck to its guns on overseas aid, promising to donate 0.7 per cent of our national income to other countries. In the Chancellor’s words, the government will not balance the books on backs of the world’s poorest people. In fact, as the criticism of the policy was at its highest the Prime Minster hosted a development summit in London and pledged £814m to help vaccinate children around the world against preventable diseases like pneumonia. On this issue, David Cameron does not seem for turning — however many letters he receives from the Defence Secretary.
 
But Liam Fox is not alone. A slew of recent polls show that Britons have mixed feelings about the utility of overseas aid. There are also persistent questions about corruption and the degree to which DfID — having been created at the height of New Labour, staffed by NGO people, and run by economists who have spent little or no time working in other government departments — can change to the degree that is required.