Cuts to the foreign aid budget.

@Applegran. ‘Our wonderful NHS’ is at breaking point since Covid, and mental health services in this country are an absolute disgrace with seriously mentally ill people having to be detained in prisons because there are so few mental health beds available. It will take the NHS at least 18 months just to get back to where it was before the pandemic - same with schools, which need a cash injection of £15 billion to ensure our children don’t lose out, and which have been allocated less than £2 billion. There are endless waiting lists for surgery and people are suffering as a result. The care system for elderly and disabled is chaotic and record levels of people are having to turn to food banks to make ends meet. Yes, we are a rich country, but the wealth is not distributed properly, which is why I asked the original question. I doubt the money held back from foreign aid will be used to address any of these problems, and although I agree with some of your points, I don’t share your cosy view of how lovely everything is in the UK.

I think there are homeless people here who need support and those who have to rely on food banks to live. Aid has been pouring into Africa for decades and there is never any lasting benefit for the people while their leaders have big limos and all the trappings.
India has a nuclear bomb and a space programme, and booming pharmaceutical and tech companies. Why do they still need aid?
On the other hand, we need to assist the Palestinans, Yemenis and middle eastern refugees whose lives have been made hell by OUR meddling.
So some cuts, but being careful that the remaining aid doesn’t put a person in space!

How much aid do we give to India Coco51?

Any ideas?

I used to think overseas aid was a good thing... Until I took a job as admin for a charity involved in promoting innovative housing projects overseas. Directors and project workers (here and abroad) very well paid (and plenty of perks [mainly ex services - expect lots of looking after]). As time went on I learned more about life in the various recipient countries. There were many people in serious need, BUT the countries' own governments did not at all have the idea that they should be interesting themselves in the lives of 'people like that'. - So long as we are happy to pay why ever should they? - Also worked for Age UK and local government here - people in these areas worked much harder and for less so now unless I have in depth knowledge of exactly what I'm paying for I avoid overseas charities.

I would like to know what the foreign aid budget is spent on. For example, in 2018 Rwanda had £62 million in that year alone from the UK in foreign aid and Dictator Paul Kagame spent £30 million sponsoring his favourite club Arsenal to put a small patch on the club shirts with 'Visit Rwanda'. Not a great use of our money I think.

Well said Jennifer. If a country can afford a space programme it can afford to look after it's own .

katy1950

Well said Jennifer. If a country can afford a space programme it can afford to look after it's own .

And if they don't care, do we just let them die, purse our lips and say "well they deserve it"?

Anyway the whole space program thing is a red herring. My question at 14:24 which nobody has responded to.

We don't give any aid to the Indian government (shock horror!) In the 2 years 2019/2020 we invested a total of £98 million in enterprises and funding technical expertise in India.

For context - we're spending twice that amount next year on a fancy boat for Boris Johnson to swan around in.

katy1950

Well said Jennifer. If a country can afford a space programme it can afford to look after it's own .

They are ours as well, we are all human, well I think we are.

Meanwhile the weak and the vulnerable die.

Alegrias1, you are so incredibly blinkered and appear not to be reading and understanding what people on here are saying, who have had experience of dealing with this first hand, husbands working overseas etc and witnessing first hand that the money is well diluted by the time it even gets to the aid project. I think perhaps you need to pack a bag and go and experience it yourself. As others have said, enough is enough. These countries have been aided by the UK for over a century and still they want more. As an OP said, they need to now stand on their own feet. If our country was hit by a major disaster, do you honestly think that any of these countries or its inhabitants would help us. Not a bloody chance. The never ending begging bowl will always be empty, awaiting to be refilled. Apologies but think the do gooders on here need a wake up call

How dare you SusySue.

Husbands working overseas. Holy smoke.

foxie48

Lemongrove I wish you could have a cup of tea and a chat with my niece. she's worked for several charities over the past 25 years or so and been based all over the world. eg She's worked in Darfur and Liberia, places ravaged by civil war where it's the ordinary people who are struggling to survive. She'd tell you about the lengths they go to to ensure that money goes where it's supposed to go, when it's necessary to pay a bribe to get something important done even though she'd prefer not to and I think she'd also tell you about the difference some help from foreign governments can make to the lives of the ordinary people. She's lived in some pretty dreadful conditions but they are never as bad as the locals. I sometimes think it's impossible for those of us with lives in the UK to imagine the poverty and deprivation that so many live in. Refusing help on the basis that some of the money goes into the wrong pockets is like beating a person who has been robbed instead of trying to catch the thief!

Just quoting this again because its relevant.

What a difficult subject this is. I don’t think any of us have the answers, though perhaps some fancy they do. There is need at home, and there is need abroad. Which is more important? How can we even begin to know? Government wastes money, charities waste money. People are paid enormous salaries out of our taxes and our generosity. I honestly think I don’t have any answers, but nor do the rest of us. The one thing I do know is that we should give foreign aid, but how much and to whom is difficult. Sorry for dithering but I just think it’s such a complex subject.

We must always help out when a disaster strikes but other than that we need to really look at where we spend it. China does not need our money .

Alegrias1
"I'm aiming my comments at people who don't know the difference between emergency humanitarian aid and other types of aid, and who honesty think that we just hand money over to governments and let them spend it on what they like".

Are you not aware that much of what is sent to these countries is simply syphoned off and sold?

There would appear to be a belief that those of us supporting the continuation of foreign aid at the level we promised are naïve do-gooders.

What I'd say to people like that is simple; of course we know that aid is syphoned off and misused, do you honestly think we are stupid? Read foxie48's post for information based on pragmatic reality, not a misplaced fit of pique based on some daft idea that the rest of the world is out to get us.

You all seem to live in a black and white world where as soon as you see any corruption the only response is to pick up your ball and go home. Well people are dying. People will die because you think someone is taking advantage of you, so you're having a strop. The world isn't as straightforward as you think it is.

Every little we can give is a lot better than not giving.

We are not safe until the world has herd immunity. Pulling aid from the poorest countries simply guarantees that Covid will continue to bite us, as variants breed unchecked in far corners of the world...

I believe foreign aid should be cut dramatically. It doesn't reach those in need and never has, it's a joke. We need to look after our own, first and foremost.

Alegrias1. Just because people disagree with you it doesn't make them wrong, Have you thought that maybe your loyalties are misplaced. Foreign aid doesn't reach the intended people. We feed corruption.

'Foreign aid doesnt reach the intended people'. What is this based on please Yorki? What is your source of information?

Have you thought that maybe your loyalties are misplaced

????

Alegrias1

How dare you SusySue.

Husbands working overseas. Holy smoke.

There's your problem Alegrias1 - you haven't asked your husband what to think.

@Alegrias1. Too answer your question upthread. The UK no longer gives any money to the Government of India. £98 million will be invested in Indian enterprises, while the rest funds technical expertise. Together these help develop new markets, whist creating jobs for some of India’s poorest and marginalised people. At the same time, this will also help create jobs for UK businesses, and generate a return for the UK.

Bluecat your post of Friday sums it up succinctly I think, I agree with everything you posted. Just one question for the aid deniers amongst GN: do you honestly, really believe that the money not sent as foreign aid will be spent in the UK sector instead? Really think that the government will say that the £2m saved by not vaccinating children against polio will be used to increase family benefits so that some UK families don't have to go to food banks?

Gill57, government ministers have already confirmed it wont go towards 'our own''