Bond reacts to Kirsty McNeill’s appointment as Minister for Development

As Kirsty McNeill MP is appointed Minister for Development in the FCDO, Romilly Greenhill, CEO of Bond, the UK network for NGOs, said:

“Congratulations to Kirsty McNeill on her appointment as Minister for Development and Africa in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The Starmer government carried out the deepest ever cuts to the UK aid budget, leaving marginalised communities in some of the lowest income countries, like Ethiopia, Malawi and Sierra Leone, without vital support. This retreat from our international development commitments has severely damaged the UK’s credibility, at home and on the global stage.

The new Minister for Development must put international development back on this government’s agenda, and champion the UK aid budget as a vital tool for addressing global challenges of poverty, conflict and instability. Together with the new Foreign Secretary, Kirsty McNeill must honour Labour’s manifesto commitments on international development, work to set out a clear roadmap for restoring the UK aid budget to 0.7% of GNI, and ensure the FCDO has the expertise and resources it needs to deliver for the communities it works with. By using the UK’s upcoming G20 presidency to champion much-needed reforms to the global financial system – including tackling unjust debts, illicit financial flows and implementing fairer tax rules – the Minister and Foreign Secretary can also support low- and middle-income countries to invest in their own public services, address the impacts of climate crisis, and lift communities out of poverty.

We look forward to engaging closely with Kirsty McNeill, alongside the Foreign Secretary, to help drive progress towards a safer, healthier and more equal world and to rebuild the UK’s historic reputation as a reliable global partner.”