UK Parliament Backs Foreign Aid Cut After PM Johnson Sees Off Rebellion

UK Parliament Backs Foreign Aid Cut After PM Johnson Sees Off Rebellion
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes questions in Parliament in London on June 23, 2021. Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/Handout via Reuters
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LONDON—Britain will go ahead with a temporary cut to its foreign aid budget after Prime Minister Boris Johnson defeated a rebellion in parliament on Tuesday by lawmakers in his Conservative Party.

The government won a vote by 333 to 298 on its proposal to cut the minimum spend on overseas development to 0.5 percent of economic output. The cut was first announced in November as a measure to help pay for the COVID-19 pandemic.