Why are we "Ring Fencing" Foreign Aid?
Discussion
AJS- said:
It's an all round win for politicians. You can use other people's money to be "generous" to the poor and needy, to help big companies secure business and create jobs, and also increasing the likelihood of your talent and dedication being recognised by these companies when they're looking for a new non executive director or similar. And it's "only" 0.7 of GDP anyway.
exactly!!!not their f-ing money
bbc said:
A bill to enshrine in law a commitment to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid has survived an attempt by some Conservative MPs to kill it off.
MPs voted by 146 to six to end debate on the report stage of the planned law, effectively allowing it to proceed.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he backs the legislation but believes that actually meeting the target is more important than passing a law.
It comes amid claims the UK will have to spend £1bn more than first planned.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-30340696MPs voted by 146 to six to end debate on the report stage of the planned law, effectively allowing it to proceed.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said he backs the legislation but believes that actually meeting the target is more important than passing a law.
It comes amid claims the UK will have to spend £1bn more than first planned.
It never seems to amaze me just how 'untouchable' the foreign aid budget is.
Every time there's an international disaster - there we are sending several million pounds worth of aid.
Every time somebody needs sorting out with a few missiles and several thousand troops - we're the first to step forward, along with the Yanks.
And ON TOP of that we have the foreign aid budget. Yet if our nurses or fireman want a decent pay rise, they get treated with utter contempt.
Don't politicians think we're doing enough!? It doesn't seem to make us any more popular around the world - so why bother so much? I don't get it.
Every time there's an international disaster - there we are sending several million pounds worth of aid.
Every time somebody needs sorting out with a few missiles and several thousand troops - we're the first to step forward, along with the Yanks.
And ON TOP of that we have the foreign aid budget. Yet if our nurses or fireman want a decent pay rise, they get treated with utter contempt.
Don't politicians think we're doing enough!? It doesn't seem to make us any more popular around the world - so why bother so much? I don't get it.
Cobnapint said:
It never seems to amaze me just how 'untouchable' the foreign aid budget is.
Every time there's an international disaster - there we are sending several million pounds worth of aid.
Every time somebody needs sorting out with a few missiles and several thousand troops - we're the first to step forward, along with the Yanks.
And ON TOP of that we have the foreign aid budget. Yet if our nurses or fireman want a decent pay rise, they get treated with utter contempt.
Don't politicians think we're doing enough!? It doesn't seem to make us any more popular around the world - so why bother so much? I don't get it.
Every time there's an international disaster - there we are sending several million pounds worth of aid.
Every time somebody needs sorting out with a few missiles and several thousand troops - we're the first to step forward, along with the Yanks.
And ON TOP of that we have the foreign aid budget. Yet if our nurses or fireman want a decent pay rise, they get treated with utter contempt.
Don't politicians think we're doing enough!? It doesn't seem to make us any more popular around the world - so why bother so much? I don't get it.
Cobnapint said:
It never seems to amaze me just how 'untouchable' the foreign aid budget is.
Every time there's an international disaster - there we are sending several million pounds worth of aid.
Every time somebody needs sorting out with a few missiles and several thousand troops - we're the first to step forward, along with the Yanks.
And ON TOP of that we have the foreign aid budget. Yet if our nurses or fireman want a decent pay rise, they get treated with utter contempt.
Don't politicians think we're doing enough!? It doesn't seem to make us any more popular around the world - so why bother so much? I don't get it.
Agreed, yet most nurses and other public sector workers continue to support and believe Labour, why is that I wonder, I cannot fathom?Every time there's an international disaster - there we are sending several million pounds worth of aid.
Every time somebody needs sorting out with a few missiles and several thousand troops - we're the first to step forward, along with the Yanks.
And ON TOP of that we have the foreign aid budget. Yet if our nurses or fireman want a decent pay rise, they get treated with utter contempt.
Don't politicians think we're doing enough!? It doesn't seem to make us any more popular around the world - so why bother so much? I don't get it.
BGARK said:
Agreed, yet most nurses and other public sector workers continue to support and believe Labour, why is that I wonder, I cannot fathom?
Do they? The Police were almost entirely Tory. They're not anymore (but Milliband is not seen as the solution) The Tory's desire to cut another £2 billion from Police budgets plus another 40'000 Officers amounts to a scorched earth Policy. I shake my head in despair at what they have planned, while sending billions abroad.BGARK said:
Agreed, yet most nurses and other public sector workers continue to support and believe Labour, why is that I wonder, I cannot fathom?
Because the tories treat them with utter, utter contempt.Nurses for example, the tories would sell off the NHS at the drop of a hat leaving nursing to be contracted out to G4 or some other company who has proven completely incapable of running anything yet continues to win (tory) government contracts even while being fined for and asked to explain the f
k ups in the current ones.No doubt they'll get nurses on zero hour contracts quick smart while their employment is held by sub-contractor after sub-contractor who successively reduces their wages.
No, can't think why they'd be more inclined to support Labour.
Elroy Blue said:
Do they? The Police were almost entirely Tory. They're not anymore (but Milliband is not seen as the solution) The Tory's desire to cut another £2 billion from Police budgets plus another 40'000 Officers amounts to a scorched earth Policy. I shake my head in despair at what they have planned, while sending billions abroad.
There is something very wrong with a government when foreign aid spending is greater than police spending.And if you dare question the logic of it you are treated as if you have just kicked a starving African child in the balls.
NicD said:
AJS- said:
It's an all round win for politicians. You can use other people's money to be "generous" to the poor and needy, to help big companies secure business and create jobs, and also increasing the likelihood of your talent and dedication being recognised by these companies when they're looking for a new non executive director or similar. And it's "only" 0.7 of GDP anyway.
exactly!!!not their f-ing money
Hackney said:
BGARK said:
Agreed, yet most nurses and other public sector workers continue to support and believe Labour, why is that I wonder, I cannot fathom?
Because the tories treat them with utter, utter contempt.Hackney said:
Nurses for example, the tories would sell off the NHS at the drop of a hat leaving nursing to be contracted out to G4 or some other company who has proven completely incapable of running anything yet continues to win (tory) government contracts even while being fined for and asked to explain the fk ups in the current ones.
Utter rubbish. Labour privatised vast swathes of the NHS. Did you complain then? Did you even notice what was happening? PFI's?k ups in the current ones.BlackLabel said:
Elroy Blue said:
Do they? The Police were almost entirely Tory. They're not anymore (but Milliband is not seen as the solution) The Tory's desire to cut another £2 billion from Police budgets plus another 40'000 Officers amounts to a scorched earth Policy. I shake my head in despair at what they have planned, while sending billions abroad.
There is something very wrong with a government when foreign aid spending is greater than police spending.And if you dare question the logic of it you are treated as if you have just kicked a starving African child in the balls.
Also has anyone actually considered that foreign aid spending might actually be, you know, charity. It equates to around £200 per worker per year. I for one feel good that my country is generous and a force for good in the world.
The foreign aid budget actually does a very good job of proving it's effect vs cost to the treasury (payments by results) hence one of the reason it gets protected. Despite what anecdotes you may have heard the majority of UK aid (as opposed to UN aid or charities) is well spent.
Given that the UK is a first word nation with a mature economy to degree we see diminishing returns spending at home. For the price of extending the life of one old british cancer patient 6 months you can save the lives of dozens of young people in the developing world adding hundreds man years of economic contributions to the world economy. The UK aid budgets is also much more efficient than doing the activities via charities which spend a lot of money to simply raise money.
Talksteer said:
Police increased public spending on policing is hardly positive and there is less of a need for it as societal factors have driven crime down over a sustained period of time.
Do you actually believe this? Do you think there's no problem in reducing Police numbers from 140k to 80k. Do you think the culling of forensic services, cold case investigation, Police stations has no effect at all.Talksteer said:
Given that the UK is a first word nation with a mature economy to degree we see diminishing returns spending at home. For the price of extending the life of one old british cancer patient 6 months you can save the lives of dozens of young people
I'm sure that's very comforting to the tax payer who is dying because the Government won't pay for cancer drugs, while sending hundreds of millions to Nigeria so it can disappear into someone's Swiss bank accountElroy Blue said:
I'm sure that's very comforting to the tax payer who is dying because the Government won't pay for cancer drugs, while sending hundreds of millions to Nigeria so it can disappear into someone's Swiss bank account
Indeed. I would be all for this in times of feast,but cannot be right when the UK is on a recession. Fix it say to 2 quarters of growth over .3% say. I would also like to see a breakdown of which countries the money goes to as it seems to be those tied to our ties to empireI mean how much was given to Peru last year. Again how much of the money is fed back into the god only knows Quangos that are needed to run the aid budget
Talksteer said:
NicD said:
AJS- said:
It's an all round win for politicians. You can use other people's money to be "generous" to the poor and needy, to help big companies secure business and create jobs, and also increasing the likelihood of your talent and dedication being recognised by these companies when they're looking for a new non executive director or similar. And it's "only" 0.7 of GDP anyway.
exactly!!!not their f-ing money
They are not in power to spend 'their' taxes, but to allocate our precious resources in total.
Here, we are talking about £11.5 billion (for 14-15) that we don't have, that we have borrowed and are paying interest on.
NicD said:
Talksteer said:
NicD said:
AJS- said:
It's an all round win for politicians. You can use other people's money to be "generous" to the poor and needy, to help big companies secure business and create jobs, and also increasing the likelihood of your talent and dedication being recognised by these companies when they're looking for a new non executive director or similar. And it's "only" 0.7 of GDP anyway.
exactly!!!not their f-ing money
They are not in power to spend 'their' taxes, but to allocate our precious resources in total.
Here, we are talking about £11.5 billion (for 14-15) that we don't have, that we have borrowed and are paying interest on.
One of the challenges is that, whilst most informed people 'feel' that there is an ROI, there is not enough work done to be able to prove it.
Talksteer said:
The foreign aid budget actually does a very good job of proving it's effect vs cost to the treasury (payments by results) hence one of the reason it gets protected.
In other words - it's a bribe. A payment that keeps many countries sweet, making it harder for them to stop trading with us or disagree with us on the international stage.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff