Boris Johnson accused of distracting from UK job losses with merger of two government offices

Boris Johnson has been accused of destroying a key aspect of global Britain as he announced the merger of two government departments.

In a major shakeup, from September the government department responsible for overseas aid is to be merged with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to run all foreign policy and control billions of pounds of international aid.

"This will unite our aid with our diplomacy and bring them together in our international effort," the Prime Minister revealed in the House of Commons.

He added that UK overseas aid was seen as "some giant cashpoint in the sky" that emerges without "any reference to UK interests".

But opposition parties criticised Boris Johnson for deflecting attention on the day official figures showed more than 600,000 people lost their jobs during the pandemic.

"There is no rationale for making this statement today. The Prime Minister should stop these distractions and get on with the job of tackling the health and economic crisis we currently face," said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Johnson said the Foreign Secretary will head the super-department called the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and decide which countries will receive – or cease to receive – British aid, while delivering a single UK strategy for each country, overseen by the national security council.