So Are Labour Right In Wanting To Give Tax Payers Money To A Rich Country?

[youngmafbog]

Without a doubt South Africa is a rich country. So why are we even giving a penny to them? The Tories and lib-dems dont want to, labour are bleating on about how we should still pay?

So should we support countries that can support themselves?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22365355

[jake-the-peg]

That's not the point that's been made

The point is that it was stated or implied that South Africa had agreed and were happy with the cessation of this trade.

That turned out not to have been the case.

The way that it was handled was very bad and may have damaged our relationship with South Africa.

[jake-the-peg]

With regard to aid to 'rich' countries this is complex

75% of the poorest people live in developing cuintries like South Africa India Brazil China etc.

There is in some of these countries really not enough being done to help these people and we should be helping but also applying pressure on such countries to help their own people.

Matching aid with internal spending etc.

However there is also the question of the purpose of Aid

The view that we are simply helping the worlds poorest out of charity is clearly somewhat niaive - The poorest countries are Eritrea, Togo, Malawi, Niger Burundi - countries that don't feature heavily in our aid program.

Governments are more interested in giving Aid to countries that are important future or current markets or have clout - India, China etc.

Aid is used to buy influence with important developing countries

I assume that this government has decided that South Africa is no longer one of those

[youngmafbog]

No Jake the BBC would never make that point about their beloved Labour party. However from the article I wondered how many thought it wrong or right. South Africa is a very rich country, or could be if run correctly.

For me, handing out money to such countries is wrong, no matter what the reason. Also I do wonder what it has to do with the South African Government (apart from a few less Mercedes for the leaders courtesy of the UK)?

And I note you don't seem to have answered my question directly.

[Gromit]

You keep asserting that SA is a very rich country. How are you measuring that?
The IMF have them at 29th by GDP or about a fifth the size of the UK economy. Not poor, but not very rich either. Anyhow, as Jake says, our aid is more to do with influence and trading than alleviating poverty.

Labour says the decision was wrong. They criticised the Minister, but then they would they are the official opposition party. And they criticised the messy way it was done diplomatically.

What is unclear, is why policy has changed. The Conservatives and LibDems have been happy to pay these last 3 years. And SA has not sudden taken a great leap in their economy.

The day before polling in the Local elections seems highly coincidental to be delivering headlines about 'cutting aid' and pretty cynical when the total amount in aid is still ring fenced.

[anotheoldgit]

/// There is in some of these countries really not enough being done to help these people and we should be helping but also applying pressure on such countries to help their own people. ///

While we keep helping out, these countries won't help themselves, Shouldn't they be one of the richest countries in the world with their Diamond mines, Gold mines, Coal Mines and don't they also produce 80% of the world's platinum?