If foreign aid was actually spent on useful projects I might be inclined to agree. When you see the reports of the wastage, mis management and corruption around foreign aid the agreement is less easy to give.
KT53, re foreign aid. Britain currently spends 0.7% of its gross national income on foreign aid - this level is a UN (note, not EU) commitment which all developed countries are supposed to adhere to. Not all do. (Sweden gives 1.4%; USA a smaller percentage but the largest overall amount.)
40% of the aid goes to "multilateral organisations" like the United Nations; the rest is paid directly to developing countries. The biggest amount last year was paid to Africa, £2.54 bn. "Developing countries" still includes China and India, which is a problem for many people and I believe something is to be done about it - though the government say both countries still have a huge population of rural poor who need help.
Surprisingly, surveys suggest the vast majority of Britons are in favour of this degree of aid provision, seeing it as our moral obligation. Politicians say, in addition, that aid prevents failed states from becoming lawless havens for terrorists, builds long-term markets for British goods, and reduces the likelihood of mass migration due to famine etc.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Liriodendron says:Surprisingly, surveys suggest the vast majority of Britons are in favour of this degree of aid provision, seeing it as our moral obligation. .See original post
KT53, re foreign aid. Britain currently spends 0.7% of its gross national income on foreign aid - this level is a UN (note, not EU) commitment which all developed countries are supposed to adhere to. Not all do. (Sweden gives 1.4%; USA a smaller percentage but the largest overall amount.)
40% of the aid goes to "multilateral organisations" like the United Nations; the rest is paid directly to developing countries. The biggest amount last year was paid to Africa, £2.54 bn. "Developing countries" still includes China and India, which is a problem for many people and I believe something is to be done about it - though the government say both countries still have a huge population of rural poor who need help.
Surprisingly, surveys suggest the vast majority of Britons are in favour of this degree of aid provision, seeing it as our moral obligation. Politicians say, in addition, that aid prevents failed states from becoming lawless havens for terrorists, builds long-term markets for British goods, and reduces the likelihood of mass migration due to famine etc.
No idea what happened with the previous post, but what I was saying is that at no point have I said I'm opposed to foreign aid. I am opposed to a % figure being set as it simply encourages spending on worthless projects simply to hit targets. The money needs to be controlled totally by UK based organisations to prevent it going to corrupt governments or individuals.
"The spittle lipped few"! I presume by that you mean anybody who has a different view to your own, and has the temerity to express it. What a wonderful democracy you seem to espouse.
How many years has the Indian space programme been going? I bet it's more than one year. Aid should have stopped as soon as it was known that India was effectively spending our aid money on un-necessary projects.
Thanks for the update, Steve. I'm behind the times.
I agree totally - and wanted to point out that this has nothing at all to do with the EU debate; we're fulfilling our United Nations obligation in the amount of foreign aid we give.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
The fact that India has a space programme doesn't mean our aid money ever went to finance it. We didn't just send the Indian government a cheque for its money box...
Incidentally, I agree with your distaste for Steve's turn of phrase. However passionately we feel (and I do too!), there's no excuse for slagging off those with a different point of view, even when we are absolutely convinced they are wrong...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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I know the NHS isn't being supported. It's scandalous. But I don't think cutting the foreign aid budget is the answer.
If foreign aid was actually spent on useful projects I might be inclined to agree. When you see the reports of the wastage, mis management and corruption around foreign aid the agreement is less easy to give.
swisssue very interesting article link, thanks for that
KT53, re foreign aid. Britain currently spends 0.7% of its gross national income on foreign aid - this level is a UN (note, not EU) commitment which all developed countries are supposed to adhere to. Not all do. (Sweden gives 1.4%; USA a smaller percentage but the largest overall amount.)
40% of the aid goes to "multilateral organisations" like the United Nations; the rest is paid directly to developing countries. The biggest amount last year was paid to Africa, £2.54 bn. "Developing countries" still includes China and India, which is a problem for many people and I believe something is to be done about it - though the government say both countries still have a huge population of rural poor who need help.
Surprisingly, surveys suggest the vast majority of Britons are in favour of this degree of aid provision, seeing it as our moral obligation. Politicians say, in addition, that aid prevents failed states from becoming lawless havens for terrorists, builds long-term markets for British goods, and reduces the likelihood of mass migration due to famine etc.
No idea what happened with the previous post, but what I was saying is that at no point have I said I'm opposed to foreign aid. I am opposed to a % figure being set as it simply encourages spending on worthless projects simply to hit targets. The money needs to be controlled totally by UK based organisations to prevent it going to corrupt governments or individuals.
For the spittle lipped few, UK aid to India stopped last year and China receives pretty much nothing.
I'd be very ashamed if we, as a nation, stopped giving money to try to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
"The spittle lipped few"! I presume by that you mean anybody who has a different view to your own, and has the temerity to express it. What a wonderful democracy you seem to espouse.
How many years has the Indian space programme been going? I bet it's more than one year. Aid should have stopped as soon as it was known that India was effectively spending our aid money on un-necessary projects.
Thanks for the update, Steve. I'm behind the times.
I agree totally - and wanted to point out that this has nothing at all to do with the EU debate; we're fulfilling our United Nations obligation in the amount of foreign aid we give.
Sorry KT53 - missed you there.
The fact that India has a space programme doesn't mean our aid money ever went to finance it. We didn't just send the Indian government a cheque for its money box...
Incidentally, I agree with your distaste for Steve's turn of phrase. However passionately we feel (and I do too!), there's no excuse for slagging off those with a different point of view, even when we are absolutely convinced they are wrong...