May announes Foreign Aid will stay the same or rise

[toontastic]

The way I view it is that although there are a lot of worthy projects we contribute to via foreign aid many are not

The answer is not to scrap it but to ensure only worthwhile projects are funded. The NHS have wasted millions on vanity art projects but very few say stop funding the NHS.

[besty57]

I don't earn enough to pay tax

I've give an example of something aid pays for, now tell me if it's right or wrong to fund such projects..

Yes I think it's wrong.

Charity begins at home,we should stop all aid till we get our own house in order first,and then and only then should we think about giving aid to other countries.

[JRDS]

Some foreign aid is wasted on pointless vanity projects, but then again the NHS military and dwp also waste millions on pointless projects does this mean you also oppose parties who back money going into these departments. Or is it that the money is going to foreigners.

some of it is spent on programmes to help prevent children being abused, now I dare you to come on here and tell me that's a waste of money.

 

We give millions to Pakistan, India and N Korea, last year we spent 5 million on an Etheopian girl pop band. David Milliband has a 425k Salary working for a charity that receives UK aid. It is not up to the Govt to give away UK Taxpayers money on foreign projects whilst our debt goes through the roof and services crumble, if you want to give away your money to Charity fill your boots. Charity is an individuals choice not a Government's right.

Edited April 22, 2017 by JRDS

[wymberley]

Can y'aalllll quote a sensible alternative ??

Possibly.

Instead of doling out the dosh, why not find out what is required - let's say a dam to improve a water supply - get several UK civil engineering firms to tender for the work and select the best quote and get that firm to build it. Money goes where it should, UK jobs, the dam gets built and the locals who need clean fresh water get it. Win win surely.

Just a thought.

[islandgun]

From previous threads on here, i have been given to believe that overseas aid is in fact a bribe..

[grrclark]

hello, would be interesting to see a list of countries we give obscene amounts of money to?

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-on-international-development-2016

 

Amazing what a 4 word Google search will deliver.........

[sitsinhedges]

Some foreign aid is wasted on pointless vanity projects, but then again the NHS military and dwp also waste millions on pointless projects does this mean you also oppose parties who back money going into these departments. Or is it that the money is going to foreigners.

some of it is spent on programmes to help prevent children being abused, now I dare you to come on here and tell me that's a waste of money.

 

It isn't our responsibility to finance the solutions to the Worlds problems.

[panoma1]

£4,000,000 given in aid by the U.K. to North Korea in the last six years!!!! Buying them the nuclear bombs with which to bomb us!....whilst our own people stand outside waiting for the food banks to open!

[grrclark]

From previous threads on here, i have been given to believe that overseas aid is in fact a bribe..

In some cases it certainly amounts to little more than a bribe, but of course it is never so simple. Can it be shown to be directly attributable to a quid pro quo deal for the UK? maybe not, but it flies the British flag all around the globe and promotes our brand as being a nation that genuinely does make a difference.

 

Despite the apparent opinions of so many contributors to PW, that almost revel in talking down the UK, we are a great nation and a genuine powerhouse in the world and British interests are extremely well regarded throughout the world because of the contributions that we make.

 

British business operates all across the world and at the time, post Brexit, when we are going to be looking to expand our global footprint even further in terms of trade and commerce then the goodwill achieved through international development funding should be welcomed.

 

On top of that I have no real issue about a major global economy doing its bit to help out. The world is becoming an increasingly small place and it benefits nobody to be insular and protectionist.

 

Without any doubt there are abuses of the system, mainly by UK businesses syphoning funding to line their own pockets, and the countries to which some of the funding is distributed is certainly questionable, but that does not mean we should stop it all.

[Lloyd90]

In some cases it certainly amounts to little more than a bribe, but of course it is never so simple. Can it be shown to be directly attributable to a quid pro quo deal for the UK? maybe not, but it flies the British flag all around the globe and promotes our brand as being a nation that genuinely does make a difference.

 

Despite the apparent opinions of so many contributors to PW, that almost revel in talking down the UK, we are a great nation and a genuine powerhouse in the world and British interests are extremely well regarded throughout the world because of the contributions that we make.

 

British business operates all across the world and at the time, post Brexit, when we are going to be looking to expand our global footprint even further in terms of trade and commerce then the goodwill achieved through international development funding should be welcomed.

 

On top of that I have no real issue about a major global economy doing its bit to help out. The world is becoming an increasingly small place and it benefits nobody to be insular and protectionist.

 

Without any doubt there are abuses of the system, mainly by UK businesses syphoning funding to line their own pockets, and the countries to which some of the funding is distributed is certainly questionable, but that does not mean we should stop it all.

Very well said!

 

Especially as we expand into the global market and now try to make new prosperous trade deals with all sorts of nations, having established trade/shipping routes and good relations with these countries will be a massive help!

[JRDS]

In some cases it certainly amounts to little more than a bribe, but of course it is never so simple. Can it be shown to be directly attributable to a quid pro quo deal for the UK? maybe not, but it flies the British flag all around the globe and promotes our brand as being a nation that genuinely does make a difference.

 

Despite the apparent opinions of so many contributors to PW, that almost revel in talking down the UK, we are a great nation and a genuine powerhouse in the world and British interests are extremely well regarded throughout the world because of the contributions that we make.

 

British business operates all across the world and at the time, post Brexit, when we are going to be looking to expand our global footprint even further in terms of trade and commerce then the goodwill achieved through international development funding should be welcomed.

 

On top of that I have no real issue about a major global economy doing its bit to help out. The world is becoming an increasingly small place and it benefits nobody to be insular and protectionist.

 

Without any doubt there are abuses of the system, mainly by UK businesses syphoning funding to line their own pockets, and the countries to which some of the funding is distributed is certainly questionable, but that does not mean we should stop it all.

 

If we are such a major global economy why do we constantly have to inflate our huge debt pile to barely run the country despite the huge tax take whilst being unable to feed and house many people. We should trade on the merit of the goods and services we can provide nothing else. The Government does not have the right to spend UK Taxpayers money abroad period, Charity is a personal choice. All this talk of it greasing palms for trade is in the main absolute BS.

Edited April 22, 2017 by JRDS

[toontastic]

I must admit I'm gob smacked, I thought we lived in a civilised society but to hear people say they wouldn't allow money spent to prevent a child being abused is to me abhorrent, especially when the reason for not giving aid is on the grounds of the child being foreign.

Here's a question for you all if a major disaster befell the UK and foreign countries offered aid to save your child's life would you accept it.

[Cranfield]

It was suggested weeks ago that studies were taking place to see if expenditure in other budgets could logically be switched to come out of the overseas aid budget and yesterday it was mentioned again that some current defence costs could be charged as overseas aid.

I think this is the diplomatic way forward, with such a spotlight on the matter, it will be very rare for some of the totally unjustified "grants" to get through.

 

This steadies the ship and nothing prevents changes to the budget percentage in the future.

[grrclark]

 

If we are such a major global economy why do we constantly have to inflate our huge debt pile to barely run the country despite the huge tax take whilst being unable to feed and house many people. We should trade on the merit of the goods and services we can provide nothing else. The Government does not have the right to spend UK Taxpayers money abroad period, Charity is a personal choice. All this talk of it greasing palms for trade is in the main absolute BS.

 

To answer the first part of your question, our national debt has increased because we continue to have a budget deficit, i.e. our spending exceeds our income.

 

The reason for this is of course complex, however the wealth contributor to the UK is the private sector and in order to increase our income then we need to increase the level of our income from outside our internal monetary system which means global markets. Therefor consider international development as something of a sop to that.

[JRDS]

I must admit I'm gob smacked, I thought we lived in a civilised society but to hear people say they wouldn't allow money spent to prevent a child being abused is to me abhorrent, especially when the reason for not giving aid is on the grounds of the child being foreign.

Here's a question for you all if a major disaster befell the UK and foreign countries offered aid to save your child's life would you accept it.

 

Stopping Child abuse is the responsibility of the authorities of the country in which it is taking place, we have imported most of ours. Nobody is talking about not giving aid to disasters that is a totally separate issue.

[toontastic]

 

Stopping Child abuse is the responsibility of the authorities of the country in which it is taking place, we have imported most of ours. Nobody is talking about not giving aid to disasters that is a totally separate issue.

Wrong,stopping abuse is the responsibility of everyright minded human being in a civilised society.

[wandringstar]

Its our money, not the governments, they have no money, we don't want them to send it away, they have no authority to do so apart from the rules they made themselves which were influenced by external forces, we want it for our country and people, which part of that is difficult to understand. I wouldn't dream of china being expected to pay for british projects.

[toontastic]

Its our money, not the governments, they have no money, we don't want them to send it away, they have no authority to do so apart from the rules they made themselves which were influenced by external forces, we want it for our country and people, which part of that is difficult to understand. I wouldn't dream of china being expected to pay for british projects.

So you don't want our money sent abroad, I bet there's almost as many if not more opposed to trident than foreign aid. So should we scrap that.

[grrclark]

Its our money, not the governments, they have no money, we don't want them to send it away, they have no authority to do so apart from the rules they made themselves which were influenced by external forces, we want it for our country and people, which part of that is difficult to understand. I wouldn't dream of china being expected to pay for british projects.

 

China does pay for British projects.

 

They are our elected representatives and we have given responsibility to them to spend our tax monies in order to follow the policies that are promoted within manifestos and governmental legislative programmes for the term of parliament. Our choice is to vote for the people whose policies we like the most and the party with the most seats then have our permission to spend as they said they would.

 

When you say "We want it for our country and our people" who are you speaking on behalf of? You may of course wish that as is your right and some of the contributors to this thread agree, however there are many of us who are content to see international development funding continue.

[wandringstar]

You carry on with your 'international development funding' views and beliefs, I don't buy into it, and never have, I have seen it all for too long to know its a nonsense. I prefer local development funding, namely getting the homeless of the streets in my hometown who were not there 10 years ago, to me, foreign aid is a policy of hate towards your own people.

 

p.s she hasn't been elected.........yet.

 

 

 

yeh, reduce nuclear arms, although that's a different topic, it only takes a dozen nuclear missiles to call yourself a nuclear power, why do you need hundreds of them?

[toontastic]

 

China does pay for British projects.

 

They are our elected representatives and we have given responsibility to them to spend our tax monies in order to follow the policies that are promoted within manifestos and governmental legislative programmes for the term of parliament. Our choice is to vote for the people whose policies we like the most and the party with the most seats then have our permission to spend as they said they would.

 

When you say "We want it for our country and our people" who are you speaking on behalf of? You may of course wish that as is your right and some of the contributors to this thread agree, however there are many of us who are content to see international development funding continue.

I too am happy for a small amount of investment in well vetted foreign aid projects, just not as much as we willy-nilly spend now.

The doubters say spend the money in the UK, I was in hospital a few years ago and some young dole scrounger came in minging drunk and battered a nurse and a few months ago a young lad attacked a paramedic outside my house (she was only about 5ft). He is from a family all on benefits and in receipt of food bank handouts they were all off their heads on drink and drugs egging him on to do her.

 

If I had the choice to keep the cash here and fund these examples of scum or send it abroad to fund Indian spaceships I know which option I'd choose.

[wandringstar]

just a straw man argument, weak doesn't come close, I can give you a thousand examples of deserving uk cases as opposed to your scum example that are undeserving............don't you think they have scum in india aswell. poor post.

[sitsinhedges]

Wrong,stopping abuse is the responsibility of everyright minded human being in a civilised society.

 

Rubbish. Try and solve all the worlds ills with limited resources and all you will do is rob our own people of the funding they need for their own requirements.

[JRDS]

Wrong,stopping abuse is the responsibility of everyright minded human being in a civilised society.

So by that logic you would expect a foreign Govt or individuals to manage the UK's child abuse problems then would you in the likes of Rotherham etc, absolute BS.

 

Sorting child abuse is the responsibility of the authorities in the country in which the abuse is being carried out they have the power and mandate to do so. 'Every right minded human' being responsible is a ridiculous statement, how would that work then are you about to fly abroad and start investigating child abuse cases in foreign lands, good luck with that one.

[old man]

Possibly.

Instead of doling out the dosh, why not find out what is required - let's say a dam to improve a water supply - get several UK civil engineering firms to tender for the work and select the best quote and get that firm to build it. Money goes where it should, UK jobs, the dam gets built and the locals who need clean fresh water get it. Win win surely.

Just a thought.

Far too sensible sir!

 

Sadly a lot of skimming here and there as human nature shows it's colours.