Good Idea £10Bn On Ourselves??

[DangerUXD]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21528464
In these austere times I'm mystified that we give away £10bn a year so this is welcome news.

[VHG]

I think often "aid money" is another name for "sweetners" or "bribery".

We give India or Pakistan (and others) millions of pounds, but then expect them to buy our military equipment, our planes, weapons etc. Or to buy other things off our UK companies.

It also means we can still use their ports to keep our military ships, or have military bases in their countries, and also use their countries as "listening posts" to listen in on Iraq, Iran, Afganistan, Russia, China and so on.

Also if WE give them money it means they dont have to go to Russia or China and get money off them, keeping these countries sweet towards the UK and the West.

In fact I think part of the reason we have let so many countries from Eastern Europe join the EU is to keep them facing "West" rather than getting into the clutches of countries on the "East".

It is all about the world wide "game" of politics.

[FredPuli43]

On ourselves? But on 'defence' ? Oh, good, does that mean I can get a grant to renovate the Anderson shelter ?

[bazwillrun]

" Oh, good, does that mean I can get a grant to renovate the Anderson shelter ? "

when its done you can fill it with immigrants who'll be claiming every benefit under the sun, so the aid money just goes round in a circle and in a rounda bout way they'll get it but over here not overseas

[FredPuli43]

It's being so cheerful as keeps you going , isn't it, baz .

[jake-the-peg]

//I think often "aid money" is another name for "sweetners" or "bribery".

We give India or Pakistan (and others) millions of pounds, but then expect them to buy our military equipment, our planes, weapons etc. Or to buy other things off our UK companies. //


Not often we agree in News -But I think you're dead right

- Otherwise why do we spend so much money on countries that are not the most needy when there are plenty of way more desperate people in the world?

but UXB - I think you're wrong in the way you characterise this as 'on ourselves'

By international rules can't be spent on equipment or just diverted into the armed forces.

It's not a bad idea but really the budget should remain with international development and they should be able to spend it with the MOD.

You can't buy an aircraft carrier and pretend it's foreign aid!

[emmie]

depends what they actually spend it on though, more pen pushers we don't need.. ring fence Britain, how much wire would it take i wonder. x

[Zeuhl]

The PM is sticking by the commitment to spend 0.7% of our GDP on overseas aid.

His point is that some of that could be spent on funding peace-keeping activities or the training of local peace keepers. It won't be diverted to prop up the Defence budget or pay for combat missions.

All makes sense; building schools and hospitals is only sensible when a region is stable and secure.