Lets not lose sight of the fact that 0.7% of our GDP is £12 billion & the last time I looked the country that gets the most is Pakistan who are a nuclear superpower. I'd like to know why we're giving money to a country who spends money on nuclear weapons while 40% of its population live in acute poverty.
The UK's bill for foreign aid is £16,000,000,000 per year. There are 20,900,000 working families in the UK. Provision of foreign aid costs the average working UK household in excess of £765.00 per year. Many of the countries receiving aid have their own space programs and nuclear weapons. Others have no significant historical connection to the UK. Often, the money isn't spent on some community infrastructure project, health project or education initiative - it's simply doled out in envelopes or via a pre-paid debit card, as it is in Pakistan. Other times, UK aid is intercepted by tyrants and warlords (With the full knowledge of DfID) and used to further oppress the very people that it was intended to help. Still think foreign aid is a good idea?
£14 billion a year of which 29% goes to the UN the rest is spent on vaccines and GM crops. The receiving countries have a bi-laterial agreement to spend the money on big pharmaceutical companies and Monsanto.
0.7%, put in context to what the rest of the developed world spends, the US gives 0.17%, Italy gives 0.21%, Japan gives 0.22%, Russia gives 0.06%. Thats well over $20 billion dollars, money which could be spent on the struggling national health service, overcrowded schools, reducing homelessness....
No aid relations rather trade relations. Majority of aid goes to evangelism and self serving issues. India doesn't need that "AID". Thank you UK but no thank you.
Sorry , but this seems like propaganda to fool stupid people to me. At no point were any of these figures linked directly to the UK's foreign aid budget with the exception of the % we send. In fact the interviewer was very careful to state in general terms the effect of foreign aid. Let's see the numbers and then decide before we fork over 17 billion dollars a year!!!
.7% of gdp is a lot of money, especially when it is going to countries like india who can finance a nuclear arsenal, and who have told us they dont want it.
2 aspects; some people never know and surprise of the outcome of the fund spent and yeah. do it . continue!! some people never know and surprise of the outcome . and yeah.. still that small fund is spent, not big fund anyway so.. yeah.. do it continue.. I would love to hear that people really understand that the one who has more FEEL happy and GIVE some out, not just thinking that it is small fund, do it!. Please, because they need and you can help, ... understand and help, not just throw money!
When the country is running a budget defecit, it makes no sesnse to give money away. If you were borrowing money on a credit card to give away people would call you an idiot.
Nice to hear views. Though it would help more if these rich (or capable) countries act to put curb on sale/supply of arms n ammunition to rebel groups in poor nations so that this aid-money is not spent on arms by govts there. Most arms mfg. cos. are in rich countries, so the govt there can do (if they wish).
The aid to Indian will be cut of as they have a growing economy with its own space program, they will need to get rid of the poverty by themselves as they have the money to do so
The UK's combined debt is at over 900% of GDP, which means when interest rates rise and they will rise sooner or later the country will already be bust! The fact is they talk about cuts, but with this level of debt the only realistic way to pay it off is if they scrap public pensions and partially privatise the NHS. Can you imagine a government attempting to do that? Yet they’ve increased the foreign aid budget, soon we might very well need all that foreign aid back!
1000,s of people are committing suicide in the UK because of austerity measures charity should begin at home, I do not begrudge saving African children but not at the expense of our own poor and needy?
£6,000,000,000 goes to Israel, who keep Palestinians oppressed. Palestine was not Britains to give away. The rest get small change. You worry about 'antisemitism' ... we're not all stupid luv.
Well, if you borrowed money to feed some starving kids in Africa rather than financing your Mercedes or your iPhone then I'd call you awesome, not an idiot. I think you misunderstand the concept of borrowing. Britain has run virtually no budget surpluses in the past 35 years, you need to brush up on your economics.
