Jenny Chapman, Dodds’ replacement as development minister, was up against MPs this week at the International Development Committee. Apart from saying the UK wasn’t a “global charity” anymore internationally she raged against FCDO spending and its communication:
“It’s not just a minister’s job this is everybody’s job…. we still are putting out press releases which are headed by X million pounds for X project. The public has no idea – I have no idea – whether that pound sign is next to something that’s a big number a small number, more than last time less than last time – don’t know what that project is. We’re talking to ourselves far too often when we ought to be talking about people and stories… we’ve got to when we say make the case it’s about yes identify where the need is.”
A principled stance on spending announcements there as the FCDO prepares to cut its Official Development Assistance budget from 0.5% to 0.3%. Does Chappers realise what she herself has been doing in the last few months, though?
A case of pots and kettles here as Chapman admits to signing off on hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds without any idea what the spending projects are. And attacks civil servants for her own announcements…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”