Devex: Inside the U.K. aid cut
“On Thursday, the U.K. government quietly released a letter describing the extent of the cuts the aid sector knew were coming. ‘We have identified a £2.9bn [$3.7 billion] package of reductions in the Government’s planned ODA spend so we can proceed prudently for the remainder of 2020,’ wrote Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is set to lead the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office when it opens in September…” (Worley, 7/24).

Devex: FCDO ‘risks operating for months without clear strategic direction’
“The United Kingdom’s new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ‘risks operating for months without clear strategic direction,’ according to politicians specializing in foreign policy. There is also the possibility of ‘conflict’ between some strategic objectives of the Department for International Development and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, which will merge and begin work as the FCDO in September. The findings were published in a report by the Foreign Affairs Committee…” (Worley, 7/23).

The Guardian: U.K. reputation after DfID merger in ‘safe hands’ under Raab, says Trevelyan
“Britain’s status as a world superpower in development is in ‘safe hands’ under Dominic Raab, according to the international development secretary, as she prepares to leave her post. In an interview with the Guardian, Anne-Marie Trevelyan expressed sadness at leaving the Department for International Development (DfID), whose work is ‘truly impactful’ and ‘doing good,’ she said. But she said she has seen passion and enthusiasm in the foreign secretary towards helping developing countries become stronger…” (McVeigh, 7/24).