Liz Truss faces Foreign Office mutiny as senior diplomat resigns over Ukraine shake-up

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A Whitehall source told The Telegraph that Mr Malik, who was previously a Director General at the Department for International Development (DFID), “didn’t agree with the new structure or how it was being done”.

Bond, an international development network, said Mr Malik had been “vital” to the department since it merged with DFID almost two years ago. His resignation was a “real blow”, Stephanie Draper, CEO at Bond, said.

“The changes present worrying signs for the FCDO’s ability to deal with the root causes of insecurity and instability through international development – development that was supposed to be at the heart of the merged department,” she said.

It is understood the reorganisation will not involve redundancies but staff are likely to be moved into different areas of the department.

Concerns spending on global health and climate to be reduced

The source said there are concerns the changes will mean less spending on “feel good” causes, such as global health, with more focus on stuff that “really benefits the UK rather than actually makes an impact on the world’s poorest”.

Some staff were told this week three areas are set to be reduced, including global health, climate and conflict, which were all formerly DFID priorities.

The changes will also promote Sir Tim Barrow, the department’s political adviser, to become the second permanent secretary – the FCDO’s second most senior civil servant.

Sir Tim is a former UK ambassador to Russia and Ukraine, and former head of the Foreign Office’s Russia desk.

Sir Philip’s memo said Sir Tim would “focus on strategic foreign policy advice to the Foreign Secretary”.

Sarah Champion, the chairman of Parliament’s international development committee, said the changes were evidence that development is the “poor relation” to diplomatic work under Ms Truss’s leadership.

“This reorganisation sends a message that development simply isn’t a priority for the FCDO,” she told The Telegraph.

“It’s not clear how development will feature in the work of the new Permanent Secretary, if at all, and the departure of leading development staff from the department is worrying. Development feels like the poor relation to diplomacy in the FCDO.”

“I’m disappointed that the FCDO made no approach to my committee to explain this considerable change, and that instead we’ve discovered this change through media reports.”

A foreign office source disputed the claim that the reorganisation meant that humanitarian work was now less important to the department, and pointed to the Government’s upcoming international development strategy.

Rishi Sunak broke a Tory manifesto pledge in last year’s budget by reducing aid spending from 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) to 0.5 per cent, prompting a revolt from the party’s own MPs.

The Chancellor has since said the UK’s contributions will return to 0.7 per cent by the end of the current parliament, in 2024.

The move comes after David Cameron, a proponent of the 0.7 per cent commitment, said Boris Johnson should reinstate the minister responsible for aid and development to the Cabinet.

“The Foreign Office ministers do a great job but it’d be good to have someone who’s 100 per cent dedicated to humanitarian aid and development,” he told LBC last week.

Moazzam Malik and the FCDO did not respond to a request for comment.

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