Tory aid pledge

Sir, Your leading article (“In development”, Jan 13) rightly points out that aid must be targeted, practical, science-based and measurable. It is precisely for this reason that a Conservative government will establish an independent aid watchdog to provide external scrutiny; publish full details of all aid on the internet so that our taxpayers can hold the Department for International Development to account; and pioneer results-based aid, so that payments are linked to real evidence of results and lives saved.

Our case for aid is based on national interest as well as morality. Instability, disease, migration and extremism need to be tackled at source, and well-targeted aid has a crucial role to play. Our aid pledge is based on a sober assessment of the scale of need around the world, and of the gravity of the threats to British interests.