WHEN Theresa May arrived in Downing Street as the new prime minister, we all waited to see the direction her new government would take. There were warm words to the assembled media, but will those be matched by action?

The initial signs are concerning. Particularly so in terms of UK international policy, which looks to be heading in a worryingly isolationist and reactionary direction under the new PM.

First there is her appointment of Boris Johnson, possibly the most undiplomatic and unsuitable candidate for the role of foreign secretary that anyone could think of. He is now in charge of MI6; the ‘special relationship’ with the US (despite previously making disparaging personal comments about the potential next president, Hillary Clinton); our relations with China and India; our efforts at trying to find peace in Syria and the Middle East; and some of the most serious decisions in government.

I might not have liked William Hague or Philip Hammond’s politics during their stints as foreign secretary, but at least they were competent in a role that requires a gravitas and seriousness of mind that international counterparts can respect. Boris does not follow in that tradition; and this is compounded by his support of Brexit in a misleading campaign that seemed little more than an exercise in self-aggrandisement.

Then came concerning rumours that the new secretary of state for international development, Priti Patel, had walked in to her new department and ripped up the DFID mission statement; and that she was looking at abolishing DFID from within and scrapping aid. To date there has been no denial of this.

As a member of the International Development Committee (IDC), who spent years prior to becoming an MP working in international development, I can’t express how concerning these rumours are – particularly as in 2013, Ms Patel called for the department she now runs to be scrapped, saying that trade and private sector investment could take priority over aid. We will need to call her to speak to the IDC as soon as possible.

Of further concern is the new PM’s abolition of the Department for Energy and Climate Change, which is subsumed into a new Department for International Trade, with no connection to DFID. This can only be seen as a downgrading of British efforts to combat global warming, to lead the way at international climate talks, and to levy subsidies for green energy – a major setback for our climate change efforts.