One point six billion to support third world countries to move towards net zero.

I agree with what you say about the Indian president, he’s no friend to the UK.
At least Sunak didn’t give in to his requests to more visas tho, saying trade and immigration matters are two different things.
As to the pension money I think any near future government won’t be able to continue with the triple lock.I would like it to continue for my Mum’s sake but think even a Labour government won’t be able to promise it.

I actually think that we should be giving more, foxie48.

However, if the implication is that cuts to benefits will have to be made to pay for it (which is really total nonsense and completely untrue) I can see it being another grievance for xenophobes...

I do think that Sunak would be wise to back away from so much apparent support for India. The president is a disgusting populist Hindu Nationalist and I don't think the UK should be too closely connected to his regime.

Then there is always the question of his wife's enormous wealth deriving from her Indian family's company, which still has connections with Russia...

I am furious about the possible benefit cuts but I can separate that from giving money to third world countries. Climate change is a world wide problem which needs a whole world approach. Climate change causes increased migration, not necessarily from the countries that currently cause the most pollution but most certainly to those countries, which in the past, have caused the most pollution. I think we need to be a lot less parochial if we really want a better world for everyone to live in.

I tried to give PM a fair chance but now feel he knows his future as PM is on a shoogily peg and wants to leave a legacy, appropriate or not.
He is totally out of kilter with the common man.

My god we come below Mexico!!

It's interesting that so many people claim that the reason asylum seekers come to the UK is because of the high rate of benefits, isn't it?

You can find the graph here:

www.cbpp.org/social-security-benefits-are-low-compared-with-other-advanced-countries-6

As for £1.6 billion? Mere chicken feed to a government that has paid £1.6 billion to rent for a year a disease ridden 'barge' to house a few of its enormous backlog of asylum seekers.

With regard to the benefits. I haven’t read too much about it - perhaps now is the time? But I understand that he will no longer guarantee the triple lock for one thing. With 18% of pensioners already living in poverty, this figure will inevitably rise, if the government does not ensure that pensions keep up with inflation etc.

With regard to benefit payments overall, I was absolutely shocked to read this week that the U.K. has one of the lowest overall benefit payments in the world . I will try to find the graph as it is truly shocking.