The rhetorical power of aid for trade: UK aid in the age of Brexit and COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The UK is a global leader in Aid for Trade (AFT). Aid for Trade discourse frames it as a solution to development challenges and key to building trade relationships. This article examines the rhetorical value of this framing in pursuit of myriad interests amidst Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes to the UK’s aid budget and administration. It is informed by data from government documents and interviews with AFT and aid experts. This study finds that AFT discourse is used to justify the UK’s merging of diplomatic and development agendas and its new ‘Global Britain’ identity.

RÉSUMÉ

Le Royaume-Uni est un chef de file en Aide pour le Commerce (APC). En effet, l'Aide pour le Commerce est reconnue comme un outil indispensable au développement international et comme une élement clé lors de l'établissement de relations commerciales. Cet article examine la valeur rhétorique de cette représentation dans la foulée de la présente redéfinition du rôle Britanique dans le cadre du Brexit, de la Pandémie de COVID-19 et des récents ajustements budgétaires apportés à l’aide internationale. Il s'appuie sur des données provenant tant de documents gouvernementaux, que d’entretiens avec des experts de l'APC et d’aide internationale britannique. Cette étude révèle que le discours de l'APC est utilisé pour justifier la fusion des programmes diplomatiques et d’aide internationale menant à la révision du rôle britannique mondial en sa nouvelle identité de « Grande-Bretagne mondiale ».

KEYWORDS:

• Aid for trade
• sociology of development
• Brexit
• COVID-19
• aid policy

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Professor Martin Shaw for his comments on an early version of this paper. I would also like to thank Jack Kent for his editing suggestions and the reviewers for their comments. A very revised version of this paper was presented at the 2019 International Conference on Sustainable Development at Columbia University, New York.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 This reference pertains to email communication between the author and a representative of the FCDO on 26 August 2021 regarding management of the AFT budget and relevant programming following the merger of DFID with the FCO.

2 These estimates refer to the youth population size for the whole of Africa.

3 TMEA is a not-for-profit organization established in 2010 as an instrument for AFT with offices in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, DR Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan.

4 WTO DDA refers to World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda and ACP-EU refers to African, Caribbean and Pacific states – European Union.

5 This inquiry ran during the second half of 2020. The documents include three reports by the IDC and the government’s written response, two transcripts of oral evidence and 79 pieces of written evidence. The written evidence referred to in this article is cited according to inquiry document codes beginning with EUA00. The reports and oral evidence are cited the usual way.

6 This inquiry opened in January 2021. The documents include the transcripts of three oral evidence sessions, 11 letters between government committees and departments, two pieces of legislative scrutiny evidence and 86 pieces of written evidence submitted to the inquiry. The latter is cited in the text according to its document code beginning with FUA00.

7 Rt Hon Rory Stewart is not referenced in this article as his speeches were not directly relevant to the research.

8 The names and roles of all research participants have been anonymised.

9 Interview with participant 5 on 20 September 2019. Participant is the CEO of an AFT organization in East Africa.

10 Interview, participant 5, 20 September 2019.

11 Interview with participant 4 on 31 July 2019. Participant 4 is a CEO of a UK aid-funded organization focused on market development in Africa.

12 Interview, participant 4, 31 July 2019.

13 Interview, participant 10, 17 July 2020. Participant 10 is a senior official from a major donor agency.

14 Interview, participant 10, 17 July 2020.

15 Interview, participant 3, 15 July 2019. Participant 3 is a former head of a Commonwealth organization. The participant updated their response on 11 November 2021 to focus more on the impact of changing discourse about governance and development at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

16 Interview, participant 1, 26 June 2019. Participant 1 is a former head of a Commonwealth organization.

17 Interview, participant 7, 7 May 2020. Participant 7 is a representative of a CSO working in international development.

18 Interview, participant 5, 20 September 2019.

19 Interview, participant 9, 2 July 2020. Participant 9 is a consultant working in sustainable development.

20 Interview, participant 10, 17 July 2020.

21 Interview, participant 2, 28 June 2019. Participant 2 is a consultant working in UK aid.

22 Interview, participant 4, 31 July 2019.

23 Interview, participant 5, 20 September 2019.

24 Interview, participant 6, 6 January 2020. At the time of interview, participant 6 was a representative of UK-based body working in AFT.

25 Interview, participant 6, 6 January 2020.

26 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0050.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/4959/pdf/.

27 Interview, participant 8, 16 June 2020.

28 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0071.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/5595/pdf/.

29 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0074.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/6206/pdf/.

30 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0012.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/2843/pdf/.

31 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0077.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/6484/pdf/; IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0076.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/6271/pdf/.

32 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0072.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/5596/pdf/. Interview, participant 4, 31 July 2019; interview, participant 5, 20 September 2019

33 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0055.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/4979/pdf/; IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0053.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/4970/pdf/.

34 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0047.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/4932/pdf/.

35 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0014.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/3000/pdf/.

36 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0022.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/3332/pdf/.

37 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0059.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/4988/pdf/.

38 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0076.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/6271/pdf/.

39 IDC. 2021. “Written Evidence: FUA0001.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/21748/default/.

40 IDC. 2021. “Written Evidence: FUA0001.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/21748/default/.

41 IDC. 2021. “Written Evidence: FUA0047.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/36565/pdf/; IDC. 2021. “Written Evidence: FUA0042.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/36558/pdf/; IDC. 2021. “Written Evidence: FUA0043.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/36561/pdf/; IDC. 2021. “Written Evidence: FUA0083.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/36732/pdf/.

42 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0038.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/4782/pdf/.

43 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0071.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/5595/pdf/.

44 IDC. 2020. “Written Evidence: EUA0074.” https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/6206/pdf/.

45 Interview, participant 6, 6 January 2020.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Melvin

Jennifer Melvin is a Fellow in International Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on aid policy and discourse in the UK and Commonwealth African countries. She has previously written about human rights and post-genocide reconciliation in Rwanda.