Northumberland MP reacts after Boris Johnson scraps her department just months after her promotion to the Cabinet

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Conservative MP for Berwick Upon Tweed.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan was returned as the Conservative MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed for the third time at last December’s General Election, having first won the seat when Sir Alan Beith, now Lord Beith, stepped down in 2015.

Having previously held junior minister roles in the Ministry of Defence, she became Secretary of State for International Development in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle in February.

However, her tenure in that role will come to an end later this year, after it was announced on Tuesday, June 16 that the Department for International Development (DfID) is to merge with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will merge, ‘uniting development and diplomacy in one new department that brings together Britain’s international effort’.

The Government said that work will begin immediately on the merger, with the new department – the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – to be established in early September and led by the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab.

The UK’s commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on overseas development, which is enshrined in law, will remain in place.

The International Development Secretary role will no longer exist and reports elsewhere suggest that it is not clear if Mrs Trevelyan will retain a cabinet post after the autumn.

In a statement, she said: “Since I was appointed as Secretary of State for DfID, four months ago, I have seen the dedicated and heartfelt work to protect the world’s most vulnerable, ensure that girls receive a quality education, and tackle climate change and biodiversity loss.

“Earlier this month, the PM and I hosted from London the Global Vaccine Summit that showed the results that can be achieved when diplomacy and development work in lockstep. Over 60 nations attended, collectively raising $8.8billion to vaccinate people around the world.

“We are, and have always been, a bold and confident nation, unafraid to stand up for what we believe in. I see our development leadership as squarely in that great tradition.

“We remain committed to our 0.7 GNI target, and we remain committed to development.

“The steps announced by the Prime Minister today embody that global outlook, and with the third largest diplomatic network and third biggest aid budget, sets a course to make our voice heard in the world.”

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