Conservative Party
International Development discussions at the Conservative Party Conference
The Conservative Party Conference took place from 5 to 8 October.
On Day 4 of the Conference, Shadow International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell gave his speech on international development laying out the key principles of the Conservative international development agenda: enterprise, accountability and transparency. In his speech, Andrew Mitchell also emphasised that aid to China and Russia needed to be stopped, while Zimbabwe would receive greater support should the Conservative Party get into power. A Conservative government would also introduce a much stronger focus on performance and results of UK aid establishing an independent aid watchdog.
Read Andrew Mitchell's speech in full
Read the Conservative Green Paper on International Development
Party leader David Cameron held his key note speech on the last day of the Conference. His speech was introduced by U2 singer Bono who reminded the Conservative Party of the plight of the poor and emphasised that now was not the time to cut aid budgets.
In his speech, David Cameron committed to ring-fence international development should the Conservative Party get to power and also singled out poverty, free and fair trade and climate change as key areas for close cooperation with the European Union.
