Westminster is watching Accra. Closely. Ghana’s parliament has passed a bill criminalising LGBTQ+ identity and advocacy. The Foreign Office is now dusting off its human rights toolkit. Aid cuts are on the table.
The bill, dubbed the “Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Act,” imposes prison sentences of up to five years for same-sex acts and up to ten years for promoting LGBTQ+ rights. It is a direct challenge to Western diplomatic norms.
Whitehall sources say the UK is “considering all options.” That is code for an aid review. Ghana receives around £100 million in UK aid annually. The Foreign Office is under pressure from backbench Labour MPs. They want swift action. But the government is cautious.
“This is not a simple lever,” a senior official told me. “Cut aid and you risk pushing Ghana toward China. Keep it and you look weak on human rights.”
The timing is awkward for Downing Street. Rishi Sunak has made “global Britain” a mantra. But his own party is split. Some Tory MPs applaud Ghana’s move. They see it as defending traditional values. Others call it a betrayal of liberal principles.
Polls show the British public is divided too. But inside the Foreign Office, the mood is grim. Officials recall the backlash over Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ law last year. The UK cut some aid then. But it was piecemeal. Ghana is a different beast. It is a stable democracy. A regional power. The UK needs friends in West Africa.
Human rights groups are already mobilising. Stonewall and Amnesty International are briefing MPs. They want a full suspension of aid. But the Treasury is pushing back. They say cuts would harm development programmes that benefit the poorest.
The bill still needs President Akufo-Addo’s signature. He has signalled he will sign it. That will trigger a 30-day review period. Expect intense lobbying from London, Brussels and Washington.
“This is a messy one,” a former minister told me over a pint. “No easy wins. The PM will have to choose between his conscience and his coalition.”
Electoral calculus matters. Sunak cannot afford a rebellion from his right flank. But he also cannot ignore the outrage from Labour and the Liberal Democrats. The issue will dominate the next round of PMQs.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth is watching. The London-based body has already suspended members for rights abuses. Ghana is a prominent member. A suspension would be seismic.
I hear the Cabinet is split. The Foreign Secretary is pushing for a robust response. The International Development Secretary is more cautious. They argue that engagement, not isolation, works better.
The next few weeks will define the UK’s post-Brexit foreign policy. Is it a values-first power? Or a pragmatic one? Ghana is the test case.
Watch for leaked memos. Watch for quiet phone calls from the FCO to Accra. Watch for Labour tabling a debate. This is not over. It is just beginning.
