ABSTRACT
The (New) Labour government of Tony Blair was elected on 1 May 1997, following some 18 years of Conservative government. Changes to British aid policy were among the first measures implemented by the new government. The Overseas Development Administration (ODA) became the Department for International Development (DFID). While the political head of the ODA was a Minister without a seat in the Cabinet, Clare Short was appointed Secretary of State for International Development with a seat in Cabinet. This was not a cosmetic change: Short not only provided DFID with clear and strong leadership, she was also a powerful advocate of development policy within the government. DFID was soon involved actively in policy formulation and a White Paper was produced as early as November 1997.
