Politics Labour vows to take on global elite

Shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor sets out the party’s plans for international development with no dodgy arms deals and no PFIs

March 26, 2018

LABOUR will reveal today its new plan to straighten out the Tories’ “incoherent” international development policy that currently favours privatisation overseas.

In Parliament, shadow international development secretary Kate Osamor will announce that Labour in power will put an end to the Tories’ promotion of privatisation of public services abroad so that foreign aid “explicitly reduces poverty for the first time.”

This would be through ending schemes such as private finance initiatives (PFI) for healthcare and fee-paying schools such as the controversial Bridge International Academy, whose schools have been forced to shut down in Kenya.

Ms Osamor had previously said that the promotion of PFI abroad was hypocritical when Cabinet ministers — including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson — had openly criticised such deals in Britain.

“The Conservatives must end the double standards immediately, stop promoting public-private partnerships overseas if they can’t defend them at home and put people before profit,” she said.

Read more at https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-vows-to-take-on-global-elite