Cameron off on his jollies once again.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/3mn52ya

What's really behind this 1 day visit to Pakistan by our globe-trotting PM?

Surely it is not to tell them that we will be increasing our financial aid to them?

We already dish out £200 million a year, In aid to them, and we could see it rise to £446 million a year by 2015.

[jackthehat]

No..........he could have told them that by e-mail.

There'll be more to it.

[Zeuhl]

Meeting face to face with leaders of other strategically important nations is an important part of a premier's job.

Of course it's not just Dave; he will have a retinue of civil servants meeting their opposite numbers in Pakistan for mutual benefit. And UK business people will be involved at various stages too. This tangible example of relationship puts UK financial support, investments and business opportunities in Pakistan into context.

Alternatively, we could not bother with any of that and just let the Chinese take over everything.

[New Judge]

Apparently the ever-generous Dave has just announced that a further £625m will be made available for "training and education".

Bit of a shame really when the education budget in the UK is being held at £89bn (the same as last year) and thus seeing a cut in real terms of about 4% after inflation is taken into account.

[Zeuhl]

I think it's pretty hard work with very little 'me time' or relaxed sight seeing

[McMouse]

<<Its one of the perks of the job.>> Going to Pakistan? I went there once, it was a sh1thole.......can understand why they want to come here.

[anotheoldgit]

I knew it Judge, I knew it.

To be spent on "training and education".eh?

I thought most were educated in the UK anyway, and then go over to Pakistan for their "training"?

[rov1100]

It will probably take his mind off the sacrifices some families will have to bear over the coming years. Its a pity some of these wealthy countries can't provide some aid to the down and outs in London. All we can give them are cardboard boxes.

[I.Don No]

why are we giving our hard earned tax pounds to another country?.......surely Pakistan has its fair share of millionaires who could help their countryfolk out.......

[Zeuhl]

Why?

Strategic alliances, international commitments, influence, war against the Taliban, trade deals, selling weapons etc etc etc

[TonyV]

Perks of job - really - would you like to traveling most of the the time, and no home life

[New Judge]

Indeed. If travelling to Pakistan is a perk I'm glad I'm unable to take advantage.

I too went there in about 1981. I used to think Dungeness was the last place God built until I went to Karachi.

[New Judge]

I paid for myself.

I cannot recall ever having a "jolly". I've never travelled abroad at anybody else's expense but I have travelled quite a bit in the UK on business. I think the highlight of my travelling career was travelling to Coventry from London once a month, which I did for about three years. Up at 5am, 5:40 train to London, across to Euston on the tube, 7:10am Euston to Wolverhampton (packed out to Milton Keynes, usually have an argument to get possession of reserved seat, no refreshment trolley due to either "technical difficulties" or "staff shortages"). Meeting 9am to 4:30pm then the same shambles in reverse. Some "jolly".

[welshlibranr]

what about the folk living in poverty in our own country?.....charity begins at home, we should not be sending all these millions to Pakistan or anywhere else!........

[askyourgran]

I can think of nicer places for my jollies aog. However I do think that DC's largesse with our money is misplaced, do you think it is a lure to get the half a million + of their relatives here to go back home?

[DTCwordfan]

I mentioned it last night and I'll mention it again. Britain (under Brown) committed to spending 0.5% of GDP (think that was the #) on foreign aid, so this is sort of set in stone as the Libs (plus many Tories) said that they want to honour it, being one of the more wealthy nations of the world.

I agree that there is an issue of whether we should renege on this commitment, given the cuts we are undergoing - Views????

However, given we are committed, then Pakistan makes sense given the need to try and deter terrorism and keep them (98%plus) on the moderate Muslim path. And they are a fellow Commonwealth country. Giving money to many others outside the Commonwealth should really be looked at closely.

For the comments about "they have millionaires" - well most countries have some and in all of them, how many of the private individual wealthy are philanthropic; this includes Britain. That is not to say there are not folk, there are many that are amazingly generous overtly or behind scenes acting anonymously to better the society in which we live.

[owdhamer]

A day trip to Pakistan, can you do it in a day?