London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

UK, Australia & NZ ‘punishing’ Commonwealth Secretariat

Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland has criticised the UK, Australia and New Zealand for suspending their funding of the body that runs the international organisation, the BBC has learned.

In a confidential letter to diplomats in London, Lady Scotland describes the three countries as using a "big stick" to "punish" the Commonwealth Secretariat over concerns about its financial procedures.

She urged the countries to reverse their decision to withhold almost £7m a year, which she says has left her organisation facing a financial crisis. She claimed small member states in particular would suffer from the loss of funding.

In the letter, which was leaked to the BBC, the former Labour minister also appealed to Commonwealth diplomats to end what she called the "biased leaks" of "classified information" from within the organisation that, she claimed, had generated "malicious media stories".

Lady Scotland announced earlier that she had formally asked to be reappointed for a second four-year term of office.

Commonwealth heads of government will decide if she should get a second term at their summit in Rwanda in June. Some member states are known to be seeking alternative candidates.

Lady Scotland's letter followed a meeting of Commonwealth high commissioners in London - who together form the organisation's board of governors - to discuss an internal audit report by accountants KPMG into the secretariat's financial procedures.

The report found that normal competitive tendering rules at the secretariat had been waived 50 times over three years.

Lady Scotland was herself accused of circumventing the rules when she awarded a lucrative contract to a company run by a friend, something her lawyers insisted was fully justified.

The UK, Australia and New Zealand have told Lady Scotland their voluntary funding for the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC) will be suspended until external auditors have confirmed the secretariat has tightened up its financial procedures.

In her letter - dated 13 February - Lady Scotland claimed her secretariat had implemented most of the recommendations made by KPMG.

In her account of the meeting on 6 February, Lady Scotland added: "Three of the 54 member states have indicated that they will hold or reduce CFTC contributions. A large number of board members regretted this decision and appealed to the three countries to reconsider their decision.

"It was said that money should not be used as a 'big stick' to punish the Commonwealth as developing countries, especially small states, will suffer the consequences of these cuts."


'Half-truths'


Lady Scotland also appealed to the diplomats to "think carefully" about leaks to the media after the BBC obtained a copy of the auditors' report into the secretariat.

"A number of high commissioners in London and senior officials and ministers in capitals have shown dismay at such malicious media stories," she said.

"They portray a very negative picture of the Commonwealth. We owe a duty of discretion to our member states and the public in general.

"Such biased leaks distort the reality, present half-truths out of context and put the good work of the staff and member states in jeopardy.

"This is not, and cannot be believed to be, in the collective interest of Commonwealth countries collectively."


Things you might not know about the Commonwealth


Is the Commonwealth good for Britain?


She added: "No organisation can function properly if classified information on sensitive matters are persistently leaked to the press.

"It jeopardises the organisation's reputation. I know that the Commonwealth is precious to us all. This letter is an appeal to think about the issue of media leaks carefully."

A spokesman for the Commonwealth Secretariat said the organisation did not comment on leaked documents.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×