British taxpayers will be sending at least £25million to Somalia over the next five years as part of the Government's "Green Urban Growth" initiative.
It comes as Rachel Reeves makes drastic cuts to public services at home to plug what she insists is the £22billion black hole left by the last government.
As part of this cost-cutting exercise, the Chancellor axed winter fuel payments for more than 10 million pensioners this winter.
Pensions Minister Torsten Bell explained how the UK Government “has had to make hard choices to bring the public finances back under control,” but many pensioners are not buying it.
Earlier this week, GB News went to Stanford-le-Hope in Essex, where OAPs slammed Keir Starmer's decision to axe Winter Fuel Payments.
British taxpayers will be sending at least £25million to Somalia over the next five years
Getty Images/Map Chart
Dave Walker, 74, said: "It’s terrible. They’ve done so much wrong since they came in but this has been the worst. People are freezing in their own homes. I voted Labour at the last election but honestly, I wish I hadn’t. I wish I voted for Reform but that’s just my opinion. The whole country is knackered."
Against this tough economic backdrop at home, the Government has awarded a contract for the "delivery of a Green Urban Growth (GUG) programme" in Somalia.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) awarded the contract to DT Global International Development UK LTD last month.
The contract, which is due to run until 31 July 2030, will see £25million worth of taxpayer money going to the crime-ridden country as part of the Government's green initiative.
The programme aims to support Somalia cities to "become more inclusive and resilient to cope with rapid urbanisation and climate change", according to the Government's website, and will help "harness green growth opportunities that contribute to poverty reduction and build longer-term resilience for Somalia's Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and the urban poor".
In addition to the £25million, the contract has an extension option of 24 months and allows for an increase in value of up to an additional £25million which may include funding from other donors to support collaboration and partnerships on urban development.
The revelation has sparked an outcry this week after it was widely social media, with users accusing the Government of "woke waste" as Britons face increasingly difficult economic conditions.
One user on X asked: "How can we afford this when our elderly have no heating and every road is falling apart?"
Several netizens called for the immediate creation of the UK's answer to DOGE following the revelation
Getty ImagesSeveral netizens called for the immediate creation of the UK's answer to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) - Donald Trump and Elon Musk's radical attempt to wasteful spending and restructure federal agencies.
Taking to X, one user tweeted: "We need our own @DOGE and bloody quick-sharpish, too."
The cost-cutting effort has reportedly identified and cut more than $1 billion in federal spending already.
GB News has contacted the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
