Are You Happy To See £12Billion And Rising, Spent On Britain's International Aid Budget?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4012452/Foreign-Aid-contractor-spending-doubles-1BILLION-Channel-4-s-Krishnan-Guru-Murthy-paid-26-000-host-conference-1m-handed-Nigeria-advise-leaders-spend-wealth-lavish-spree.html

/// Earlier this year it emerged the UK could be sued after building a useless £285 million runway on the remote island of St Helena. ///

/// Strong cross winds make it impossible for planes to land - but local investors have already spent a fortune preparing for new tourists and want to claim their money back. ///

[ToraToraTora]

No abolish it now. No one alive can reasonably justify giving 12billion to foreigners, charity begins at home.

[fiction-factory]

Whether we are happy with it or not it's highly unlikely to come down under any government apart from a UKIP government unless Trump and other major G7 economies take the lead and agree a reduction or renege on previous commitments.
£12 billion a year is obviously a lot in but as it is 'only' 0.7% of our GDP stopping it altogether would not make much a huge difference here, although every little helps of course

[ToraToraTora]

have a day off FF 12billion is a third of the kin defence budget !

[fiction-factory]

I agree divebuddy. Who said it was neither here nor there?

[vetuste_ennemi]

Anybody remember Nkrumah (the first benificiary of the African "winds of change"), and his grandiose building projects?

[youngmafbog]

Scrap it now. We could use that to help our own (and all the others we have let in)

And this on top of the EU 'donation' No wonder we are in debt.

[fiction-factory]

Yes, we are in debt, YMB. Almost every country in the world is in debt. Our debt is 90.6% of GDP. Our foreign aid spend is 0.7% of GDP.

[youngmafbog]

So you are more than happy to chuck Bn12 away as you obviously think it is a pittance. Clearly you are a very rich person not in our league.

[naomi24]

I'd be happier to see it go to organisations like the Red Cross.

[fiction-factory]

youngmafbog
>So you are more than happy to chuck Bn12 away

Did I say that? No.

I'm also not sure where you get the idea it might be being 'chucked away'. In rough terms I would say that around 25% is probably wasted, 25% goes to important projects that save lives or make communities more self sufficient, 25% goes on strengthening important political relationships and 25% is to help us secure important trade deals for now and the future that we will benefit from

[fiction-factory]

Or oiling the wheels? Securing support? Investment is another word you could have used. In the real world this happens and will continue to happen. And yes in the real world politicians and government bodies like to feel important, show we are a major economy which cares (a tiny bit) for less fortunate members of the human race and find it easy to spend/give away other people's money.

I see no prospect of any significant change here and zero prospect of the budget being scrapped. It would be good if someone could find a way of eliminating the waste and saving a few billion but no major party has the appetite to make much change here.

[Old_Geezer]

I'm not that worried if it is wisely spent, as it is a small proportion of GNP. But I think fellow human beings should be helped not simply have money thrown at foolish projects or passed to corrupt leaders.

[cassa333]

Not in it's present form of aid no.

[douglas9401]

Percentages be damned, it's a ludicrous amount of money. What an outcry we'd have if it was distributed among the needy (single identities only please) at home.

[TTG]

Can we see receipts of how that 12 billion is spent?

[fiction-factory]

You' have to ask the foreign office about receipts, TTG- I think the answer would be NO though but they could give some breakdown.

This article provides some info.
http://www.theweek.co.uk/63394/where-exactly-does-britains-122bn-foreign-aid-go

It is interesting to see that all parties support the £12b figure (0.7% of GDP) except the Greens who want to increase it and UKIP who want to reduce it to nearer £3.5 billion. No party proposes scrapping it altogether.

The Tories commented that "international aid helps prevent failed states from becoming "havens for terrorists", reduces migrant pressures and builds long-term markets for the UK's businesses by promoting global prosperity. ". Presumably those on AB who want to abolish it don't believe the Tories.

I also note the claim that :
What does the public say?
Despite some politicians' calls to limit foreign aid spending, it is clear from a number of surveys that the British public strongly supports current spending levels, say researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Ben Jackson, the chief executive of Bond, which represents UK relief and development charities, agrees. "British public opinion is often assumed to be hostile to development aid but [surveys] show that we are a more generous nation than some people think," he told The Independent.
"

[naomi24]

fiction-factory, //every little helps of course//

It certainly helps corrupt governments.