Fury as Yvette Cooper reveals £6bn set for overseas green schemes | UK | News
Yvette Cooper sparked outrage by promising taxpayers millions of pounds to fund green projects abroad. This came despite the Labor government cutting its foreign aid budget by 40%.
The UK will distribute £6bn to International Climate Finance projects over the next three years, the Secretary of State has confirmed. He vowed to protect “climate and nature” as priorities to “protect people and prevent future crises.” Ms Cooper also aims to raise additional income of £6.7bn through “climate and nature positive investments”.
As reported by Daily MailThe government had previously announced that it would cut funds from the foreign budget to finance the increase in defense expenditures until 2027. But aid groups criticized the cuts as “reckless” and Labor MP Sarah Champion warned the approach would “make the whole world more vulnerable”.
Some of its previous aid projects have included spending £99 million of taxpayers’ money to encourage families in Africa and Asia to cook with electricity rather than firewood.
Reform MP Robert Jenrick said: “When money is tight, it’s crazy to spend such huge amounts of money on dubious projects thousands of miles away.” He added: “A Reform UK Government will minimize our aid budget and put our own people first.”
The government has allocated £1.4bn a year to help countries currently involved in war. These include Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon, while other countries such as Somalia and Afghanistan will also see aid reduced.
Ms Cooper told MPs on Thursday: “We have taken a hard look at what we prioritize and how we work, using the challenge of a reduced budget to find solutions that will drive impact, focusing on what gives the best value for money for taxpayers while reflecting UK values and the UK national interest, and what will capture new opportunities that will bring real change to people’s lives.”
He added that the UK would start reducing funding to G20 countries such as China and India. One expert warned the move could lead to more immigrants coming to the UK.
Sarah Champion, chair of the International Development Committee, said: “As the former Home Secretary knows only too well, we will see people coming to our shores seeking refuge and opportunity.”
