A billion cut from international aid budget after claims pouring money into foreign pockets was 'too lavish' (but taxpayers will still fork out more than £10bn)

George Osborne is to slash more than £1billion from Britain’s international aid budget, following complaints from Tory MPs that it is too lavish.


The Chancellor said the Government was committed to its pledge to increase foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of GDP by 2013.

That means, despite the cut, British taxpayers will still be paying out more than £10billion in foreign aid at a time of hardship.  


He said Britain should be ‘proud of the help our country is providing to eradicate disease, save lives and educate children’.


But he said planned increases in the aid budget were now so huge that the target would be overshot – a situation which he said could not be justified at a time of cutbacks at home.   More Read