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Inside Westminster

Timing is everything in politics – and Boris Johnson’s luck may just be running out

The UK’s efforts to broker global agreement on Covid-19 vaccines (and other issues) at the G7 summit will be hampered by an embarrassing Tory rebellion over the cut in overseas aid, writes Andrew Grice

Friday 04 June 2021 13:20 BST
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<p>The chancellor is said to want to send a message to cabinet colleagues that the days of Treasury largesse are over</p>

The chancellor is said to want to send a message to cabinet colleagues that the days of Treasury largesse are over

Timing is everything in politics. It’s often not under a politician’s control. Boris Johnson, seen by many Conservatives as a lucky general, takes to the centre of the world stage next week, when he meets Joe Biden and chairs a G7 summit in Cornwall.

But the UK’s efforts to broker global agreement on Covid-19 vaccines, on a minimum rate of business taxation, and later on the climate crisis will be hampered by an untimely, embarrassing Tory backbench rebellion on Monday over the government’s £4bn cut in overseas aid.

Although ministers insist the UK is still one of the world’s big spenders on helping the poorest nations, no other major economy is cutting its aid budget in the middle of a pandemic. Bad timing again. Privately, some ministers admit the aid cut is harming the image of Global Britain as the world watches closely the dawn of the post-Brexit era. More bad timing.

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