Europe. In or out?

[Pinkie]

Why do you think the government spends all this cash on foreign aid?

What makes you think that someone like Boris Johnson, who is deeply embedded in the establishment and party to all of this would change things in the idealistic way you want, like looking after the NHS? Do you really believe it's safe in his hands? And Nigel Farage is on record as wanting to privatise the NHS.

What makes you think the UK government would spend any of this saved cash (assuming they were able to save it, or they deemed it pragmatic to do so) on the things you think they would?

Do you actually understand or know the underlying reasons for 'foreign aid'? Do you think it is in large part about maintaining a presence in those countries and promoting British trade there? Or is it a slush fund to line peoples' pockets? Or do you believe it's purely compassionate and altruistic? And if it was, wouldn't that be a surprising first for a capitalist economy?

Do you actually have faith in any politician to keep their promises?

Do you actually think politicians have any power, or do you think there are far more powerful lobbies that run things behind the scenes?

Some of what people who say they want Brexit for is laudable, but most of it is also a pipe dream. Why are you so confident that all this cash will go to the causes you want it to go to?

Since when have you seen a government represent you?

hubble also do you not think theres any corruption involved in any of those "aid" given? i wouldnt trust any of them & we shouldnt be handing over our "aid" money! aid for things that dont get built & the money disappears!

[Hubble]

hubble also do you not think theres any corruption involved in any of those "aid" given? i wouldnt trust any of them & we shouldnt be handing over our "aid" money! aid for things that dont get built & the money disappears!

Of course I do pinkie, I said so in my comment.

[Pinkie]

So surely we shouldnt be giving out any of this aid

[jmelanie]

In 2013, the UK joined a select group of countries that had reached the target of donating 0.7% of their national income on foreign aid. Of the 29 members of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC), only Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg spent more than 0.7% of their national income in foreign aid in 2013. That same year, the UK’s spending grew by 27.8% to hit the international target, spending £11.4bn – about £180 per person – on aid. The latest figures for 2014 show donor money has increased further, with the UK spending 0.71% of its gross domestic income (GDI) on foreign aid.

So which were the most generous countries in 2014?
The US donated the most funds (net) in foreign aid last year at $32bn. But when looking at the percentage of the country’s national income given to foreign aid, the US contribution is less impressive. It spent 0.19% of its national income, which is the same percentage as Portugal and Japan.

Out of the DAC countries, Sweden was the most generous – it was the first to meet the 0.7% target in 1974 – donating 1.1% of its GNI to foreign aid, which works out at about $6.2bn. Next came Luxembourg, at 1.07%, then Norway at 0.99% and Denmark at 0.85%. The UK was fifth, higher than Germany at 0.41%, France at 0.36% and Switzerland at 0.49%. In total the UK spent $19bn on foreign aid last year, compared to $16bn from Germany and $10bn from France.

Who are the other big spenders?

The country that donated the most to foreign aid in terms of percentage of GNI was the United Arab Emirates (a non-DAC country), and it sent 1.17% of its national income to development aid, after providing substantial assistance to Egypt. This is equivalent to $4bn, close to what Australia put towards aid. But for Australia, the $4bn is only 0.27% of its national income.

While part of the UK’s aid budget goes to Bric countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China which have the world’s largest and fastest emerging-market economies – they also donate significant amounts in foreign aid. According to Devex, foreign aid expenditure of the Bric countries increased from about $1.5bn in 2005 to approximately $4.2bn in 2011.

Which countries donated the least?

Out of the DAC countries, those which seemed to give the least in development assistance are the Slovak Republic donating 0.08% of its GNI, the Czech Republic, Greece and Slovenia at 0.11%, Korea at 0.13% and Spain at 0.14%. Including non-DAC countries, Israel and Latvia were the lowest, donating 0.07% and 0.08% respectively.

Iceland technically donated the least out of the DAC countries, at $35m, but that’s 0.21% of its GNI: 0.2% higher than America’s contribution.

Out of the 34 countries listed as donors by the OECD, Latvia donated the least with $25m, which is just 0.08% of its national income. But that was a 3% increase on its donations the previous year, when more than half of the members cut their aid budgets from 2013 to 2014. Japan’s was cut by 15.3% to $9bn, Australia saw cuts of 7.2% to $4.2bn, while Spain cut its funding by 20.3% to $1.8bn.

Britain on the other hand, saw a 1.2% increase in foreign aid funding.


So what does the public think?

Although foreign aid is a contentious issue, researchers at the London School of Economics say the public seems to be happy with the UK’s spending on foreign aid. However, surveys released in June show people generally are in favour of giving aid out of a national interest rather than need. So perhaps we’re not as altruistic as we thought.


BRIC is a grouping acronym that refers to the countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, which are all deemed to be at a similar stage of newly advanced economic development. It is typically rendered as "the BRICs" or "the BRIC countries" or "the BRIC economies" or alternatively as the "Big Four".

DAC - It describes itself as being the "venue and voice" of the world's major donor countries. The Development Co-operation Directorate (DCD), sometimes called the "Secretariat of the DAC", is the OECD Directorate within which the DAC operates.

[Pinkie]

Fair enough melanie,still not right though especially for some of the reasons for handing over aid,then what it was intended fors not been built & the monies disappeared! why isnt that accounted for,just stinks of backhanders etc

[jmelanie]

I think maybe we give money to the Seychelles as part of Commonwealth Development Corporation Aid.

[cross it Dave]

Why do you think the government spends all this cash on foreign aid?

What makes you think that someone like Boris Johnson, who is deeply embedded in the establishment and party to all of this would change things in the idealistic way you want, like looking after the NHS? Do you really believe it's safe in his hands? And Nigel Farage is on record as wanting to privatise the NHS.

What makes you think the UK government would spend any of this saved cash (assuming they were able to save it, or they deemed it pragmatic to do so) on the things you think they would?

Do you actually understand or know the underlying reasons for 'foreign aid'? Do you think it is in large part about maintaining a presence in those countries and promoting British trade there? Or is it a slush fund to line peoples' pockets? Or do you believe it's purely compassionate and altruistic? And if it was, wouldn't that be a surprising first for a capitalist economy?

Do you actually have faith in any politician to keep their promises?

Do you actually think politicians have any power, or do you think there are far more powerful lobbies that run things behind the scenes?

Some of what people who say they want Brexit for is laudable, but most of it is also a pipe dream. Why are you so confident that all this cash will go to the causes you want it to go to?

Since when have you seen a government represent you?

The Seychelle chap I saw driving a brand new Ranger Rover in their capital Victoia cerainly didn't seem to need any foreign aid.

[Johnnykc]

I've got the names of all you Quislings etched in my mind. When the gullible and frightened vote to Remain and the Germans make us pay for having the temerity of having this referendum. You and your ilk will be getting a right earful

You need to get out more.......

[cross it Dave]

Why do you think the government spends all this cash on foreign aid?

What makes you think that someone like Boris Johnson, who is deeply embedded in the establishment and party to all of this would change things in the idealistic way you want, like looking after the NHS? Do you really believe it's safe in his hands? And Nigel Farage is on record as wanting to privatise the NHS.

What makes you think the UK government would spend any of this saved cash (assuming they were able to save it, or they deemed it pragmatic to do so) on the things you think they would?

Do you actually understand or know the underlying reasons for 'foreign aid'? Do you think it is in large part about maintaining a presence in those countries and promoting British trade there? Or is it a slush fund to line peoples' pockets? Or do you believe it's purely compassionate and altruistic? And if it was, wouldn't that be a surprising first for a capitalist economy?

Do you actually have faith in any politician to keep their promises?

Do you actually think politicians have any power, or do you think there are far more powerful lobbies that run things behind the scenes?

Some of what people who say they want Brexit for is laudable, but most of it is also a pipe dream. Why are you so confident that all this cash will go to the causes you want it to go to?

Since when have you seen a government represent you?

Firstly, calm down matey, you'll have a heart attack the way your going.

You seem such a knowledgeable buff on world affairs, please enlighten us with the answer to all the worlds woes that you describe.

So who are these mysterious lobbies you mention, is there life on Mars I ask, please Hubble, please enlighten oh knowledgeable one.

And we are certainly not represented by 28 unelected commissioners of the EU.

[cross it Dave]

You need to get out more.......

I'll take him skiing and diving, that'll calm his nerves.

[Jeems]

So surely we shouldnt be giving out any of this aid

Rub your back I'll rub mine, its the way of the world. In return, British company's will get contracts to build/trade/sell which will be worth far more than the 20mil we give them. Yes corruption is rife in some country's and foreign aid needs to be monitored more but thats not really an EU in/out topic tbh.

[Jeems]

The Seychelle chap I saw driving a brand new Ranger Rover in their capital Victoia cerainly didn't seem to need any foreign aid.

I spoke to a lovely German guy today, seems a nice chap. They must all be like him, we should vote in ;)

[cross it Dave]

I spoke to a lovely German guy today, seems a nice chap. They must all be like him, we should vote in ;)

When skiing in Lechs in Austria in February, we stayed with an Austrian family, we rented one of their flats for a week, he was a lovely chap, we had many a beer with him.

He hated the EU with a passion.

Vote out.

[jmelanie]

Sounds like me need another referendum. Should the U.K. be giving out foreign aid? Oh what fun!

[Snaxo]

Lord Digby Jones said on LBC the other day that the French government lied to him in meetings about opening their markets up to our service companies, the EU don't want to trade with us fairly, especially the French.

Utter, utter crap. You do realise that virtually no EU decision gets made without the consent of ALL of the big 3 member states - Germany, France and the UK. So pretty much every EU rule we abide by (just 13% of our total legislation) has already been agreed on by our own Government.
If you are so worried about the power of the French and Germans then leave the EU and let them take full control....then I'm sure we'll get very favourable trade terms (based on your opinion of them) and by the way, don't for 1 second come back with a statement along the lines of 'we don't need to trade with France or Germany'....