Howard accused of "hypocrisy" on overseas aid

Wednesday, 5 January 2005 12:00 AM

Labour MP and former International Development Minister George Foulkes has accused the Conservative Leader of "hypocrisy" over his comments on overseas aid.

Mr Foulkes comments came after Michael Howard had criticised the disparity between the Government's pledges to the tsunami hit countries and the public's.

The Government has so far pledged £50 million, but public donations have now exceeded £76 million. Though Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has strongly suggested that the Government will match the public total, Mr Howard has accused the Government of playing "catch-up" with public opinion.

But, Mr Foulkes accused Mr Howard of "hypocrisy" over his support for the Government's donation, saying he was hiding his party's record of "massive cuts" in development spending, claiming that after 18 years of Conservative rule the overseas aid budget halved.

Mr Foulkes said he had written to Mr Howard asking whether he supported his Shadow Chancellor, Oliver Letwin, who plans to freeze the development budget under a Conservative administration.

The Labour MP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley charged the Conservatives with planning to freeze the budget at £4.5 billion a year, holding back £800 million and urged Mr Howard to match the £5.3 billion a year planned for international development by Labour in the Tory's election manifesto.

In his letter, Mr Foulkes wrote: "Can I ask you now to confirm in writing what you said on the radio, that you support our current level of plans to increase development assistance and that any incoming Tory government would match that?"

A Conservative spokesman dismissed Mr Foulkes for "political point-scoring at such a sensitive time".

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