SAMANTHA Cameron has faced calls to step down as an ambassador for the charity Save the Children after her husband’s government refused to give shelter in Britain to 3,000 lone child refugees who had made their way to Europe from Middle East wars.
Nick Dearden, director of the development organisation Global Justice Now, formerly the World Development Movement, said her position as ambassador of a children’s charity was at odds with her husband’s refusal to protect desperate youngsters.
“It’s hard to see how Samantha Cameron can continue as an ambassador of an organisation like Save the Children when that position is a result of David Cameron’s role as Prime Minister in which he has decided to leave 3,000 unaccompanied children to their fate,” said Dearden.
“European governments like our own seem to be at war with refugees. Migrants entering Europe are being met with rubber bullets, war ships and militarised border fences. Now, the Westminster government has expended serious political capital simply to prevent 3,000 children entering this country. They should be ashamed of themselves.
“We cannot build a decent and humane society on the demonisation of other people – particularly when those people are suffering the after-effects of British foreign and economic policies.”
But Save the Children stood by the Prime Minister’s wife.
Neil Mathers, the charity’s head in Scotland, said: “Save the Children is an independent humanitarian agency. This impartiality allows us to carry out humanitarian operations in conflict areas around the world.
“Samantha Cameron’s support for Save the Children is entirely non-political and her work with us is solely in her capacity as an ambassador. Mrs Cameron became an ambassador for Save the Children in 2011 to help raise awareness for our work and allow us to make a difference to children around the world that suffer from poverty, ill health and hunger.”
He added: “Through her support, we have been able to significantly raise the UK public’s awareness of the work that we do”
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