British aid spending on global efforts to tackle corruption and promote human rights is set to fall by as much as 80%, openDemocracy understands – sparking criticism from former Tory ministers and transparency experts.
The government unveils its long-awaited review of defence strategy on Tuesday. But while prime minister Boris Johnson has been talking up ‘Global Britain’, plans currently being discussed in the Foreign Office would see drastic cuts for initiatives to prevent corruption in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Among the projects that could be at risk are law-enforcement efforts to tackle international flows of illicit finance; a flagship anti-corruption project in Tanzania, and a £16m media freedom initiative across North Africa and the Middle East.
