Why two Scots have joined Westminster’s International Development Committee

Labour MP Gordon McKee wants to focus on the crisis in Gaza | AFP via Getty Images

Two Scots have been elected to Westminster’s International Development Committee, a body that scrutinises the work of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in respect of aid policy.

Tory MP and former Scotland Secretary David Mundell rejoined the committee having served on it previously, while new Labour MP Gordon McKee has also joined it.

Speaking to The Scotsman, the pair explained the importance of Scotland having MPs on the committee, as well as discussing the areas that they would like to focus on.

Mr Mundell, the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale MP, claimed scrutinising the Government was integral, stressing its “track record” of holding the administration’s “feet to the fire”.

He said: “The key role in any select committee is scrutiny of the government, and what we don’t want to see is any backtracking on commitments Labour has previously given in relation to spending on aid.

“Previous committee that I was on exposed the fact that the previous government was spending aid money on hotels for refugees in the UK, and how that was impacting the international aid budget, so the committee has a good track record of holding the government’s feet to the fire.

“We also need to make sure that we keep development issues at the top of the political agenda, and while so doing, ensuring that we maintain public support for aid and development spending. I don’t think support is as strong as it has been, even 20 years ago, when there were global campaigns against poverty, and there was widespread public participation. I think it’s essential in order to keep making the case for spending and action by the UK Government.”

Asked what issue he was particularly passionate about, Mr Mundell answered “Next year there will be a summit on nutrition, and David Cameron began that process around the Olympics in London.

“Having these major summits to get countries to commit to spending on nutrition around the world, I want to make sure the UK government is playing a very active part in that.”

Mr McKee, the Scottish Labour MP for Glasgow South, told The Scotsman that Scotland “plays a really big part in international development”.

Former Scottish secretary David Mundell also served on the committee during the last parliament

He continued: “The FDCO is based in East Kilbride, and has been for 40 years, though it’s now moving to Glasgow, and there are many people I represent who work there, so it’s important to have good Scottish representation on the committee.

“It’s really important to help people who are the most in need in the world, especially in Gaza, and the humanitarian crisis ongoing there.

“This is partly about supplying the aid to Gaza, but also doing all we can to make sure that Israel will let the aid into Gaza. There are reports that Netanyahu is considering blocking all aid into northern Gaza to starve out the people there which is appalling. We have to get aid to people who need it, that’s something I care about.

“This is kind of a down payment on Britain’s future in the world, we have to be honest about it that while Britain is a great country, we have enormous clout, but it's not where we were 25 years ago. What you will see in the 21st century is the rise of powers, India obviously already being massive, but African countries will come on as well, such as Nigeria. Brazil is another one.

“These are big populations, and by helping those countries develop, it’s not only the right thing to do, it’s also in our self interest in the decades to come to build close relationships with these countries, and that will come to fruition in the next decades.

“It’s important we offer that aid, not in a strings attached way, but because it’s the right thing to do. If we don’t give that aid, other people will give aid and not give it in the same way.

“Look at the Chinese, they have an enormous presence in Africa, built a lot of the infrastructure with Huawei, and now lots of countries are tied into China's tech sphere, which is dangerous.

“AI is going to transform the world, so do we want these middle income or lower income countries to be a version of the west where everything is free and they can say what they want, or to be like China?

“Also the Chinese aid is not aid, it’s debt. What we should be doing is giving them aid, not expecting anything back with interest.”