The UK's aid budget will be shifted to projects that promote its interests, the foreign secretary has said. Boris Johnson said the money will be "more sensibly distributed" to support foreign policy aims such as denying safe havens to Islamist terrorists. His comments came as Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, said the UK will provide a £21m boost to an emergency aid fund.
The UK currently spends £13bn on aid each year. Speaking to the Times newspaper, Mr Johnson said "the old jam jars are being smashed" and money would be diverted to support UK foreign combating terrorists in Africa. It would also go to help refugees in Yemen and Rohingya Muslims fleeing across the Burmese border into Bangladesh, he added. Reality Check: How much does the UK spend on overseas aid? Where does UK aid go and why? The government is committed to spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid but some politicians oppose such spending. Mr Johnson said the UK would gain more control of its aid spending after Brexit. About £1bn of the money the UK pays to the EU budget counts as part of the foreign aid budget.
The EU spends that money on humanitarian aid and on emergency responses to world crises, as well as on projects in countries close to the EU and those hoping to join in the future.
source; www.bbc.com
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