Cutting UK overseas aid in the name of Covid fiscal prudence is pure nonsense

In economic terms Rishi Sunak's saving of up to 4bn is chickenfeed, stupendously bad value for money and hence politically inept

Britain is on course to borrow the thick end of 400bn this year and so, according to Rishi Sunak, the aid budget has to be cut. The UK will always be a good global citizen, the chancellor said last week, but times are tough. There's a pandemic going on and so hard choices have to be made.

This argument failed to convince Andrew Mitchell, a well-regarded international development secretary under David Cameron, who is organising a rebellion among like-minded Conservative MPs. Rightly so, because it is utter nonsense.