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The Independent
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
More than 60 charities demand UK reverse ‘shameful' aid cuts that will expose women and girls to abuse
More than 60 major UK and international charities have called for the government to reverse funding cuts that they warn will ensure the 'worst aid budget for women and girls on record'. In a joint statement signed by Oxfam, Save the Children, World Vision and Care International, the 61 charities say they are 'deeply alarmed' by the 'shameful proposal' to shift money away from projects that specifically support women and girls by scrapping dedicated spending on gender equality. The charities estimate the closure of just one UK-funded violence prevention project, the 'What Works' programme, would put more than one million women and children at increased risk of abuse worldwide. One charity chief executive called the cuts 'dangerous'. In February, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a plan to cut aid spending from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of the UK's gross national income (GNI) – a measure of the nation's total wealth. That amounts to roughly £6 billion cut from a current budget of £15.4bn. On 14 May, development minister Jennifer Chapman told MPs these cuts would fall on gender and education programmes, as the government sought to 'sharpen [its] focus' on humanitarian emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. However, the coalition of leading charities have warned these cuts will mean 'specialised services for survivors of rape will disappear, girls will miss out on education, and women will continue to be excluded from positions of power and influence'. Currently just 12 per cent of all UK aid currently prioritises gender equality, which the charities say must be protected – with more than half of women's rights organisations surveyed by the coalition in developing countries saying they will have to close in the next six months because of aid cuts. 'We urge the UK Government to reverse course. It otherwise risks sending the message that the rights and lives of women and girls are expendable,' the statement reads. 'Without investment that specifically supports women and girls, specialised services for survivors of rape will disappear, girls will miss out on education, and women will continue to be excluded from positions of power and influence,' the statement adds. 'These decisions aren't simply about numbers on a balance sheet – they are choices that determine whether women and girls live in safety, go to school, or access healthcare. Behind every cut is a person whose life and future are at stake. 'As a coalition of organisations working toward a gender-just world both in the UK and overseas, we are deeply alarmed by the shameful proposal to eradicate standalone aid funding for gender equality.' Beyond gender equality spending, the 40 per cent cut to the UK's spending in developing countries is projected to leave millions at risk of malnutrition. An analysis by Save the Children previously shared with The Independent found the 'savage' cuts to UK foreign aid would leave 55.5 million of the world's poorest people without access to basic resources. Addressing the international development select committee last week, Baroness Chapman said: 'There will be a huge impact, I'm not pretending otherwise. I can't promise to protect every good programme'. She claimed that the crises in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan are 'actually where the public expects us to lead'. But in their statement, the coalition of charities cited polling by YouGov that showed that 63 per cent of respondents think the aid budget should be used to protect women's and girls' rights. The UK's aid cuts come at a time when many rich countries are shifting spending away from development. But none has cut as deeply as the US, where Donald Trump 's decision to slash overseas spending is already having wide-ranging destructive effects, from leaving millions on the brink of famine, to derailing the end of the AIDS pandemic, driving millions of preventable deaths. Dr Halima Begum, chief executive of Oxfam GB said: 'The UK government's proposed rollback on dedicated funding for gender equality is beyond concerning – it's dangerous. With the rise of anti-rights movements, the fight to protect the rights of women and girls is more important than ever. 'Not only does it threaten the gains that have been made in recent decades, she said, but it is 'simply wrong that the Government is choosing to push more people into poverty and deepen gender inequality while the surging wealth of the super-rich goes untouched.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Earl of Sandwich, dedicated crossbencher who kept the Foreign Office and DfID on their toes
The 11th Earl of Sandwich, who has died aged 81, was devoted – as a charity worker and writer, and as a highly respected hereditary member of the House of Lords – to the causes of international development, overseas aid and human rights. John Montagu worked with Christian Aid, Save the Children Fund and Care International before inheriting the peerages conferred on his 17th-century naval ancestor but disclaimed in 1964 by his MP father. Lord Sandwich – as John became on his father's death in 1995 – was a gentle and cerebral crossbench participant in Lords' debates and committees, intensely focused on drawing support to his chosen causes without ever seeking limelight or confrontation. Such was the good impression made in his early years that when 92 hereditary peers had to be chosen by election to remain in 1999, following Blair government reforms, Sandwich was elected fifth in the list of 28 favoured crossbenchers. Over three decades he made more than a thousand contributions to the House's proceedings, very often in the form of courteous but probing questions to Foreign Office and DfID ministers and always in the interest, as one colleague put it, of 'those for whom he cared most, those with no chance and no choice'. In his valedictory speech in May 2024 – in a debate on the legal status of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the International Committee of the Red Cross – Sandwich spoke passionately about 'the forgotten crisis' of Sudan and its 'progressive destruction' by warring generals, leading to 'appalling loss of life and malnutrition [and] a high number of refugees falling into the hands of traffickers on their way to small boats bringing them to this country. We are not doing enough to work with our European and Commonwealth friends to reduce these numbers.' During that debate, Lady (Virginia) Bottomley of Nettlestone summed up Lord Sandwich as 'a man of intellect, wisdom, huge generosity of spirit and great modesty [who] gives Parliament a good name'. John Edward Hollister Montagu was born in London on April 11 1943 to Victor Montagu, Viscount Hinchingbrooke, and his wife Rosemary, née Peto, who divorced when John was 15. Victor 'Hinch' Montagu was a difficult father and a rumbustious Conservative MP for South Dorset between 1941 and 1962, best known for his opposition to withdrawal from Suez and to Harold Macmillan's first overtures towards the European Common Market. On inheriting the earldom in 1962, Victor was reluctantly obliged to leave the Commons – but having followed the example of Tony Benn (formerly Viscount Stansgate) and disclaimed his titles for life, he failed to find a new constituency. John was educated at Eton and read history and modern languages at Trinity College, Cambridge. He worked in publishing and journalism before joining Christian Aid as an information officer in 1974 and later working as an editor for Save the Children Fund and a consultant for Care International. Covering projects for the homeless, the hungry and the disenfranchised in Indonesia, Afghanistan, Nepal, Kosovo, throughout Africa, and in India, where he lived for a year, he also often worked alongside the Red Cross in emergency appeals. He was a mainstay for many years of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sudan and a co-founder with Oliver Letwin MP of the APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence, which achieved changes in clinical guidelines to improve patient safety. He was also a member of the council of the Anti-Slavery Trust, chairman of the Britain Afghanistan Trust and an adviser to the British College at Kathmandu. He was the author of The Book of the World (1971), a compendium of facts and maps. For Save the Children Fund he edited Prospects for Africa's Children (1990) and Children at Crisis Point (1992); he also published a celebration of his father's life, a collection of his mother's illustrated letters and other family material. He was president for 25 years of the Samuel Pepys Club, the 17th-century diarist having been a cousin of the 1st Earl. The titles of Earl of Sandwich, Viscount Hinchingbrooke and Baron Montagu of St Neots had been conferred in 1660 on Edward Montagu, an admiral who helped negotiate the restoration of the monarchy and commanded the fleet which brought Charles II back from Holland. A more famous ancestor, however, was the 4th Earl (1718-1792), who served three terms as First Lord of the Admiralty and is credited with the invention in 1762 of the western world's most ubiquitous fast food when he asked for a serving of beef between bread to be brought to him at the gambling table. That episode inspired the launch in 2004 by John Sandwich's son Orlando (with the 11th Earl in the role of 'president', and in partnership with the Planet Hollywood restaurateur Robert Earl) of the Earl of Sandwich chain, which claims 'the world's greatest hot sandwich' offering, including 'The Full Montagu' combination of beef, turkey, cheese and salad. The venture has 50 locations in North America, Asia and Disneyland Paris. In the 1980s, Lord Sandwich also embarked with his wife Caroline on the restoration of the gardens, woodlands and farms of the Mapperton estate in Dorset, which had been acquired by Victor Montagu in 1955. Its manor house, Tudor in origin but largely rebuilt in the 1660s, was named 'the nation's finest' by Country Life in 2006. He was also captain and 'chairman of selectors' of Mapperton Marauders cricket club, a fellow member recalling: 'On match day, no one quite knew how many would show up, numbers could vary from seven to 17... Equally benign and affable in victory or defeat, John was the perfect embodiment of this once noble sport.' He married, in 1968, Caroline Hayman, whom he had met at Cambridge. She survives him with their sons Luke (Viscount Hinchingbrooke, born in 1969, who succeeds as 12th Earl) and Orlando, and daughter Jemima. Lord Sandwich, born April 11 1943, died February 1 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
