Foreign Aid (£6,843m) and our Governments Pre Budget report

[Slyjoe]

I've previously stated my niavety in all thing politic before on here, now on an evening when I find out I'm going to be paying more taxes next year I had a look at what our government pay out in foreign aid.>
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Media-Room/News-Stories/200...
It seems that I help to send part of the £6,843m (is that nearly 7 billion?) to all sorts of other places!!!
Could any of the PH enlightened tell me WHY?
This isnt meant to be an inflamatory post, I just have not got a fecking clue why we are obliged to send it "over there" when we could obviously use it "Over here"

[odyssey2200]

I think it's just to distract you from the £40 Million we give the EU EVERY DAY.

[Elroy Blue]

If it makes you feel better, they've projected £7'762 for the next year

[Langweilig]

Sorry but you don't get it, do you? You're supposed to be helping China and India combat climate change. Just accept that and be grateful....sarcasm mode...OFF.

[odyssey2200]

Charity begins at home!

[Elroy Blue]

And ignore the billions India spends on armaments!

[Muntu]

Come on people, this is Pistonheads. Most of the money will be spent on BMWs and Mercs, nice ones too.

[odyssey2200]

Elroy Blue said:

And ignore the billions India spends on armaments!

or sending rockets to map the moon.

[Tangent Police]

odyssey2200 said:

I think it's just to distract you from the £140 Million we give the EU EVERY DAY.

EFA

[5unny]

Much of this aid is simply another way of giving a country a bribe or kickback.

We give India a billion or two and in return we get a £10 billion + trade partnership. We did the same with China when they were poor and now they invest billions over here.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

[Slyjoe]

5unny said:

Much of this aid is simply another way of giving a country a bribe or kickback.

We give India a billion or two and in return we get a £10 billion + trade partnership. We did the same with China when they were poor and now they invest billions over here.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Thankyou - thats the kind of balanced reply I was hoping for - where do I find this kind of stuff?

[Killer2005]

Elroy Blue said:

And ignore the billions India spends on armaments!

And a few more on an F1 track

[Slyjoe]

Killer2005 said:

Elroy Blue said:

And ignore the billions India spends on armaments!

And a few more on an F1 track

Thats OK on my balance sheet ;-)

[deadslow]

Slyjoe said:

5unny said:

Much of this aid is simply another way of giving a country a bribe or kickback.

We give India a billion or two and in return we get a £10 billion + trade partnership. We did the same with China when they were poor and now they invest billions over here.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Thankyou - thats the kind of balanced reply I was hoping for - where do I find this kind of stuff?

PH of course

[elster]

Slyjoe said:

5unny said:

Much of this aid is simply another way of giving a country a bribe or kickback.

We give India a billion or two and in return we get a £10 billion + trade partnership. We did the same with China when they were poor and now they invest billions over here.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Thankyou - thats the kind of balanced reply I was hoping for - where do I find this kind of stuff?

Well you can't.

If it was done privately it would be illegal.

What happens is a politician helps to set up a trade delegation with certain companies and a country. Then when the politician retires he joins the board of some of these companies.

[Tangent Police]

elster said:

Slyjoe said:

5unny said:

Much of this aid is simply another way of giving a country a bribe or kickback.

We give India a billion or two and in return we get a £10 billion + trade partnership. We did the same with China when they were poor and now they invest billions over here.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Thankyou - thats the kind of balanced reply I was hoping for - where do I find this kind of stuff?

Well you can't.

If it was done privately it would be illegal.

What happens is a politician helps to set up a trade delegation with certain companies and a country. Then when the politician retires he joins the board of some of these companies.

and then would like to have really been El Presidente in the EU.

[rpguk]

You'll find that it generally isn't as charitable as it sounds. Often the deal is structured so that much of the money flows back home, there are usually stipulations such as using UK suppliers for example.

And yes as someone said above it can be a kind of bribery in some ways. It pays to keep people sweet on the international stage.

Edited by rpguk on Thursday 10th December 06:54