Reducing International aid.

[Laughing]

People didn’t vote Tory because of foreign aid. I dare say the majority of people who lent their vote to the Tories don’t want us to pay any foreign aid whatsoever.

That may well be true Rico but it was still part of the manifesto so should be adhered to. Unfortunately so many people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

 

[MFP]

That may well be true Rico but it was still part of the manifesto so should be adhered to. Unfortunately so many people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

Manifestos aren't legally binding and more fool you for thinking the Tories would adhere to anything they 'promise'.

 

[SmallTown]

People didn’t vote Tory because of foreign aid. I dare say the majority of people who lent their vote to the Tories don’t want us to pay any foreign aid whatsoever.

It was in their manifesto though. So it WAS voted for. Legally too not on an advisory capacity like brexit

 

[Laughing]

Manifestos aren't legally binding and more fool you for thinking the Tories would adhere to anything they 'promise'.

MFP I never said a manifesto was legally binding, it should be morally binding otherwise what's the point in a manifesto.

I never thought the tories would adgere to anything, their manifesto was laid bare for the tissue of lies it was before a vote was cast. Police, hospitals and nurses to name just 3 of the manifesto promises that were, at best misleading, more likely just outright lies.

 

[newusername]

It’s all a bit of a misnomer isn’t it , what we are are talking about when we say aid a lot of the time is investment.
I don’t think it’s unfair to question why we are giving aid to economies that are perfectly capable and have the resources to look after themselves, yet To invest in this countries is more acceptable. A breakdown of those two categories and which are being cut would help the debate.

I’d also be interested in a breakdown between emergency aid, developmental aid And investment. My guess would be some of the aid isn’t going to worthy causes, that should be stamped out.

The one example I’ve seen and it’s apparently (inadmissible on this board as it can from the daily mail) is the aid to China.
Let’s be honest studies into syphillis in gay men in China, I struggle with that for a few reasons, one that is not what I would class as an emergency, two, China have the resources to pay for that themselves (they don’t need our help) and three which I think is the crux of the matter , the Chinese have poor form with regards to LGBT rights, if we didn’t pay for this study I expect that they would not.

Of the UK’s “net bilateral Overseas Development Assistance (ODA)” to China £55.7m, 100% was investment & 0% was aid. 62% of it was spent by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 26% was spent by the Foreign Office and the rest was spent by ‘other’ Govt Departments, nothing was spent by DFID.

Re: syphilis in homosexuals, that was funding the provision of self-testing kits at a total cost £27k for a research project, it looks like the tests were developed by a UK firm.

I’d like to see a breakdown of where the money goes, is that available anywhere?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/902370/annual-accounts19-20.pdf

 

[bear66]

Of the UK’s “net bilateral Overseas Development Assistance (ODA)” to China £55.7m, 100% was investment & 0% was aid. 62% of it was spent by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, 26% was spent by the Foreign Office and the rest was spent by ‘other’ Govt Departments, nothing was spent by DFID.

Re: syphilis in homosexuals, that was funding the provision of self-testing kits at a total cost £27k for a research project, it looks like the tests were developed by a UK firm.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/902370/annual-accounts19-20.pdf

There is much uncertainty about the year ahead, but the new department, supported by this government’s commitment to spending 0.7% of our gross national income on international development, will work ever harder to ensure that the world’s poorer nations become stronger, safer and more resilient.