South Down MP Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) stood up for the world’s poorest people at Westminster on Friday by supporting a new bill that could introduce a legal minimum requirement for 0.7% of the UK’s GDP to be spent on international aid.
Ms Ritchie stood alongside party colleague Mark Durkan to vote in support of the new Aid Bill which passed its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday
She said: “I believe that there is a moral imperative on all of us to do whatever we can to help those across the world who find themselves in abject poverty and unimaginable conditions. The SDLP has consistently supported a legally-binding target for a minimum level of expenditure to be spent on international aid and I was glad to be able to stand alongside my colleague Mark Durkan MP as we voted in favour of the aid bill.
“A 0.7% target of GDP to be spent on international aid was first recognised by the UN General Assembly over 44 years ago. And while it is good news that we’re finally there, we must take action to ensure that the world’s poorest people aren’t allowed to be forgotten by letting the target slip. That’s why we’re supportive of legislative action to enforce an appropriate level of spend on the current government.
“The SDLP has always supported action to deal with the effects of poverty, locally and globally. We will continue to defend the poor and vulnerable at every opportunity.”
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