The UK’s aid budget will not be cut as a result of the sexual exploitation scandal affecting the sector, the prime minister has confirmed in a push back against the right wing of her party.

There have been calls for the government to scrap the commitment to spend at least 0.7% of gross national income on foreign aid, including from the MP some Tories have touted as Theresa May’s potential successor, Jacob Rees-Mogg.

May told the Commons on Wednesday that the development sector needed to get its house in order, but insisted the UK would maintain its overall aid budget.

“It is absolutely crucial that we continue our support through aid for those who are most vulnerable. But they also deserve to be treated by the same high standards that we would expect to be treated ourselves,” she said during prime minister’s questions.

“This government maintains its commitment to helping the most vulnerable people around the world. We maintain our commitment to our international development budget.



“But we do want to work with organisations that meet the high standards that we expect. And the behaviour of Oxfam staff in Haiti was, quite frankly, horrific. It was far below those standards.”

On 9 February, Rees-Mogg delivered a Daily Express-backed petition to No 10 on behalf of more than 100,000 people he said wanted to “ensure the foreign aid budget is properly spent and are not in favour, as I’m not in favour, of the 0.7% target”.

That same day, the Times newspaper revealed that Oxfam had allowed three men to resign, and sacked four others for gross misconduct after a 2011 inquiry into alleged sexual exploitation in Haiti, the downloading of pornography, bullying and intimidation.

The Sun and the Daily Telegraph subsequently published articles supportive of cutting the UK aid budget, and the permanent secretary at the Department for International Development (DfID) told MPs on Tuesday the scandal had undermined support for aid spending.



“The reputation of the sector, the reputation of aid, the reputation of the 0.7% commitment ... all of those things, I think, are threatened by this crisis,” Matthew Rycroft told the international development committee.

MPs also heard evidence from Oxfam’s chief executive, Mark Goldring, who said 7,000 regular donors had abandoned the charity since the scandal broke. The same day, a Guardian/ICM poll of more than 2,000 people suggested there was declining support for charitable giving in the UK.

More than a third said they were less likely to donate to humanitarian charities, such as Oxfam, about a quarter said they were no less likely, and 32% said they did not donate anyway. Of those who said they already donated, 52% said they would now be less likely to fund humanitarian causes.

There had been speculation May would consider dropping the aid budget pledge before last year’s election but the prime minister indicated her ongoing commitment to it during a speech in April.

