Boris Johnson made the controversial decision to merge two Whitehall departments without consulting his Cabinet, it was revealed today.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the decision to combine the department responsible for overseas aid with the Foreign Office was made by the Prime Minister.
Three former prime ministers — David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Tony Blair — criticised the move to abolish the Department for International Development.
Mr Hancock’s comments today raised suspicions that the plans were the work of Mr Johnson’s top adviser Dominic Cummings, who has long-favoured the merger.
Mr Hancock was asked on Sky News if the merger was discussed in Cabinet and replied: “No, it wasn’t, it’s absolutely right, it’s a prime ministerial decision. All these machinery of Government changes are decisions individually made by the Prime Minister.”
Mr Hancock insisted that the 0.7 per cent of national income spent on aid projects would “absolutely” continue.
Yesterday Mr Johnson told MPs that the merger will mean aid spending will better reflect British aims. He called it a “long overdue reform” and said it would ensure “maximum value” for taxpayers.
But former Tory PM Mr Cameron said the move would mean “less expertise, less voice for development at the top table and ultimately less respect for the UK overseas”.
Mr Blair said he was “utterly dismayed” and aid charities have raised concerns that the plan will harm the world’s poorest people.
Asked about the criticism from the former PMs, Mr Hancock replied: “I have a huge amount of respect for those past prime ministers but I think that the decision to bring aid together under the Foreign Office with one strategic approach, bringing together the development money… and Britain’s national interests and think about how that is done in a more joined-up way. I think that is a good thing.”
He added that the creation of DfID was “right for the time” but now it should be tied together with the UK’s overall diplomatic approach.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the move would weaken UK influence and that he would re-establish DfID if elected.
The Government is aiming to set up the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office by September.
It is not the first time the two departments have been merged and split up again. It obtained its current status in 1997 when Mr Blair came into power.
