I know there is probably a really good reason for this....

[thatone1967]

But it does annoy me when we are cutting back left right in centre in the UK, but we still can afford to spend over half a billion pounds educating kids in Pakistan....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12967819

[BoRED S2upid]

Id like to know what the really good reason is, surley £650mill could be put to good use in this country before we get onto helping others?

[ewenm]

Sweetener for a trade deal perhaps?

[obob]

Sweetener to allow us to continue bombing them.

[BoRED S2upid]

It better be a sweatener for something good to happen to our country and not just giving cash away left right and centre.

[Elroy Blue]

Pakistan has just ordered six new submarines from China. We give them £650 million.

We're scrapping our Navy. It'd be funny if it wasn't such a disgrace.

[MadMullah]

probably as a sweetner for Pakistan to say all is forgiven fo rthe DC thing last year and for Pakistan to send its forces to north waziristan

and i'm not saying they're corrupt but i'm sure the president wants his 20% too

[SignalGruen]

The Swiss banks will be rubbing their hands with glee.

[s1962a]

Did Pakistan ask for this money, or are we giving it in return for favours?

[Victor McDade]

I'm not sure what people expect us to do.

Some nutters trained in Afghanistan attack an ally of ours. We therefore join our friends in invading Afghanistan. Nutters flee over the border into Pakistan.

We then beg the Pakistanis to help us in this war against the 'holy warriors'. They refuse because large sections of their army and establishment sympathise with the very people we want to fight. In the end they reluctantly agree after some threats and bribes and the price we have to pay, among other things, is this 'aid'.

Moral of the story - don't join in wars if you lack the will or money to see them through.

Edited by Victor McDade on Tuesday 5th April 17:12

[theaxe]

Victor McDade said:

I'm not sure what people expect us to do.

Some nutters trained in Afghanistan attack an ally of ours. We therefore join our friends in invading Afghanistan. Nutters flee over the border into Pakistan.

We then beg the Pakistanis to help us in this war against the 'holy warriors'. They refuse because large sections of their army and establishment sympathise with the very people we want to fight. In the end they reluctantly agree after some threats and bribes and the price we have to pay, among other things, is this 'aid'.

Moral of the story - don't join in wars if you lack the will or money to see them through.

I suspect that's about right.

[madala]

I know there is probably a really good reason for this....

...personally I can't think of one.....

[Puggit]

Pakistan has one of the lowest tax rates compared to GDP in the world

[RemainAllHoof]

Given that a percentage of that will be trousered, how many Pakistani kids can be educated for the remaining £47.87 that makes it's way into the educational system?

ewenm said:

Sweetener for a trade deal perhaps?

I expect this is the reason. How much do we get back of that money in reality, though? I mean, for every £1 we donate, how much business do we actually get? I'd like to think it was at least £5 so that each £1 comes back as some kind of tax via income tax, corporation tax, NI etc. Would I be overly pessimistic to assume "fat chance"?

[carmonk]

cameron said:

If we fail, we will have all the problems of migration and extremism that we don't want to see. It is in our interests that Pakistan succeeds.

Immigration, and therefore migration, can be controlled if the will is there. More worrying is that Cameron seems to be linking a lack of education with extremism, when I know of no such link.

I've no idea if this money will reap benefits, and I'm aware no government in the history of the world has done anything through altruism, but I'd be interested to see if in this case it's going to be worthwhile.

[Lost soul]

You might as well throw the money down the stter (oh they did ) what a total waste

[eddharris]

carmonk said:

cameron said:

If we fail, we will have all the problems of migration and extremism that we don't want to see. It is in our interests that Pakistan succeeds.

Immigration, and therefore migration, can be controlled if the will is there. More worrying is that Cameron seems to be linking a lack of education with extremism, when I know of no such link.I've no idea if this money will reap benefits, and I'm aware no government in the history of the world has done anything through altruism, but I'd be interested to see if in this case it's going to be worthwhile.

"when I know of no such link". Jeez, you are an arrogant prick.

[Killer2005]

Puggit said:

Pakistan has one of the lowest tax rates compared to GDP in the world

There was a piece in the news a few weeks ago that stated that most of the high earners in Pakistan don't see the need to pay any tax because of all the foreign aid that the country recieves.

[carmonk]

eddharris said:

carmonk said:

cameron said:

If we fail, we will have all the problems of migration and extremism that we don't want to see. It is in our interests that Pakistan succeeds.

Immigration, and therefore migration, can be controlled if the will is there. More worrying is that Cameron seems to be linking a lack of education with extremism, when I know of no such link.I've no idea if this money will reap benefits, and I'm aware no government in the history of the world has done anything through altruism, but I'd be interested to see if in this case it's going to be worthwhile.

"when I know of no such link". Jeez, you are an arrogant prick.

It's called English. Of course, there are those like you who see idiocy as a virtue.

[eddharris]

carmonk said:

It's called English. Of course, there are those like you who see idiocy as a virtue.

And the water in Majorca don't taste like it oughta