THE SNP have issued a New Year challenge to the Chancellor to commit to immediately restoring the aid budget to the 0.7% level, as the case for strengthening global efforts to tackle the pandemic grows.

With cases of the Omicron variant rising in the UK and around the world, the party’s international development spokesperson warned that the UK’s decision to cut support to just 0.5% of of GNI “delivered a disproportionate and deep blow” to the world’s most vulnerable and poorest at this critical time.

Earlier, the spending watchdog – the Independent Commission for Aid Impact – warned that the “ability of the UK aid programme to respond flexibly to the evolving pandemic has been reduced” as a result of the Government’s aid cut.

It is estimated that around £2.9 billion has been slashed from the UK’s aid budget in 2020, and around a staggering £4.5bn this year.

READ MORE: UK’s 2021 foreign aid failure should be a priority in 2022 as Omicron surges

Chris Law, SNP MP for Dundee West, said: “At a time when the UK Government should be stepping up on the world stage, it has instead continued to ignore the warnings and shamefully shirk its responsibilities.

“The impact of the Omicron variant has highlighted the need for a global approach to effectively tackle the health crisis.

He continued, “However, the UK Government’s decision to slash the aid budget by billions of pounds has harmed the UK’s efforts globally and delivered a disproportionate and deep blow to the world’s most vulnerable and poorest at this critical time.

“As we navigate through the pandemic, it’s clear that no one is safe until we are all safe.”

Directly appealing to Westminster Chancellor Rishi Sunak, he continued: “As we head into the New Year, I urge the Chancellor to heed the warnings and do the right thing and look to restore the aid budget to its 0.7% level without any further delay or unnecessary hurdles.”

Imploring the Government to “do the right thing”, he said: “Lives are being needlessly lost – the UK Government must at long last do the right thing.”