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Posted by: Crazy Chris 31st August 2020, 10:17 AM

From The SUN

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12540103/ ... rce=pushly

FOREIGN aid is set to be axed to help foot the UK’s Covid-19 bill.

Britain has a legal commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of its GDP on foreign projects.

But Chancellor Rishi Sunak has indicated that the amount — up to £15billion a year — could be sacrificed to help plug the budget black hole caused by coronavirus.

Instead, some money could be used to fund Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence projects, and invested in the charities sector.

Rich countries such as China, led by President Xi Jinping, and India, have benefited from UK taxpayers’ cash.

Foreign aid has included funding for dementia care in the Chinese province of Qingdao and yoga lessons for Indians at risk of heart failure.

Mr Sunak believes he has the backing of the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary for the big move.

But they are all aware it will require primary legislation to come into effect, which could take months.

Mr Sunak wants to use his November Budget to “announce the intention” to scrap it, multiple sources say.

But ex-deputy PM Damian Green said the idea made him “wince”.

The commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on foreign giveaways was a flagship policy of ex-PM David Cameron.

Posted by: Rooney 31st August 2020, 02:56 PM

Personally I think it's a crap idea, the amount is miniscule in comparison and it does a lot of good, especially to far less developed countries. I get the need to help ourselves, but the money is unlikely to be re-invested back in to the country. You need to help other countries sometimes so to further the country's own agenda. Especially when the developing world is going to be absolutely battered by Covid.

Posted by: Envoirment 31st August 2020, 03:07 PM

Not surprised. It'll likely poll well with the public as well.

Posted by: Iz~ 31st August 2020, 03:10 PM

What ludicrous cherry-picking to pick on India and China who are not in fact, free of poor people (also, Qingdao is not a province, jesus, the scum can't even get that right) and have so many levels of bureaucracy and different provincial needs it's not as simple to say they have a good economy therefore they can fix their problems.

In any case the majority of our aid goes to places like https://www.theweek.co.uk/63394/foreign-aid-how-and-where-is-britain-s-budget-spent. I wonder which Little Britain would prefer, giving these countries aid, or letting them collapse and creating more migrants.

And completely with what Rooney says, it's not going to do a whole lot of good just going into a COVID debt hole.

Posted by: Crazy Chris 31st August 2020, 03:33 PM

Brilliant idea and I've been calling for this for ages. We're in a financial mess now so we need the money ourselves never mind sending it abroad. This has made my day in fact.

Someone on another forum says it won't go through though as it's only a suggestion and not even the Tories are evil enough to axe foreign aid.

Posted by: Rooney 31st August 2020, 04:54 PM

It's a good idea to the naked eye - let's keep our tax money in the country.

But as Iz said if there's less stability in poorer countries it creates migrant problems that people are so against. So you might save yourself 0.7% of the budget but then it still angers everyone who is anti-immigration as it increases the risk.

I don't even think we will end up being in that big of a financial mess. Perhaps all MPs should take a 10% temporary pay cut if we're going to be in that big of a mess?

Posted by: Suedehead2 31st August 2020, 05:15 PM

That's all that counts with this dreadful shower of a government.

Posted by: J00psyMethyd 31st August 2020, 05:26 PM

The Sun in twisting a story shocker.

Isn't foreign aid mutual? Cutting connections with other countries seems like a misstep when the UK is about to very publicly cut ties with the rest of Europe already.

Posted by: T Boy 31st August 2020, 05:29 PM

What a surprise this is your opinion.

If we need all the money for ourselves, why do we have multiple billionaires whilst people sleep on the streets? Saying we need to stop helping others to save ourselves might be a good argument until you consider how rich the very rich are in this country.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 31st August 2020, 05:38 PM

Foriegn aid sums to about £15bn/year (0.7% of GDP) and less than 2% of total government expenditure.

The welfare state costs around £155bn.

Removing it will have a much greater impact on the UK's soft power (already decimated by Brexit), so if you want to accelerate the rapid decline into irrelevance on the world stage for the UK, then by all means...

Posted by: TheSnake 31st August 2020, 05:59 PM

I don't think it will be 'axed' forever though, even if Boris Johnson does win the next election. It will be just while the UK is in recession.

I do think Crazy Chris was making that point T Boy that he wanted to see it prioritized for homeless people and other people in financial hardship in this country to benefit from aid during these tough economic times over it being sent abroad. But yes that more to do with the welfare state Dr Blind was referring to.

Posted by: T Boy 31st August 2020, 06:14 PM

I know exactly what he was saying, I don’t need an interpreter.

Posted by: Suedehead2 31st August 2020, 06:17 PM

Technically, we will be out of recession at the end of next month as the third quarter will show a return to growth unless there is a new national lockdown in the next few weeks.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 31st August 2020, 06:22 PM

Indeed. That's a weak argument anyway because if we couldn't afford it, how an earth have we afforded around £70bn for the furlough scheme, £130bn to bail out the banks in 2008, £50bn+ for HS2 and over £50bn for the renewal of Trident - which if you wanted to ditch the UK's position on the world stage would be a much more intelligent saving.

Posted by: Suedehead2 31st August 2020, 08:48 PM

I've always been broadly supportive of HS2 but it ought now to be reassessed. The main argument for it is not speed but capacity. That being the case, they need to revisit the estimated demand in light of the expected increase in working from home.

Posted by: Steve201 31st August 2020, 09:24 PM

THERE IS ENOUGH MONEY!!

In decembers election Corbyn was told his nationalisation plans were all crazy dinosaur 1970s economics and yet when there's a pandemic all of a sudden the money is available proving these are always political choices not economic neccesity.

Posted by: Crazy Chris 31st August 2020, 10:16 PM

Is there? Then why are there rumours tonight that Rishi intends a fuel hike of 5p which will cost drivers and firms delivering goods hundreds of pounds a year?

Posted by: blacksquare 31st August 2020, 10:47 PM

This seems like an ideological choice made because it'll poll well (eyeroll) and take some attention from a potential increase in corporation tax.

Posted by: Wall 31st August 2020, 11:20 PM

?

Why you speaking to snake like that for no reason what so ever?

Posted by: T Boy 1st September 2020, 05:10 PM

I wish you’d brought this up through pm or something given that it’s not relevant to the discussion at all and it shouldn’t be derailing the thread so I’m going to keep this as brief as possible. I responded in a way I saw fit. I don’t think my response is particularly rude. Snake seemed to be under the impression I couldn’t understand Chris’ point of view and I corrected him. Please message me if you still have an issue, I find it a bit odd you’ve offered no opinion on the topic yourself and appear to have come here just to stir.

Posted by: Doctor Blind 1st September 2020, 05:33 PM

Can we please stick to the topic under discussion and try to avoid personal attacks. Both myself and Christopher want this forum to be as welcoming as possible to newer posters and those who often don't post here, and it doesn't help when two of the longest serving members are being abusive to each other.

I take the point that T Boy could have come across as rude to TheSnake but I think he is perfectly able to fight his own battles and raise any issues himself.

Please leave the matter there or take it into a private discussion. Thanks.