British priorities

[Whathastheworldbecome]

Am I the only person who thinks foreign aid should be stopped due to the state of our own economy?

[TheQueef]

Yes.

[Sirzy]

Probably not but you should be.

It’s not a race to the bottom and we can’t just ignore the suffering in the rest of the world

[lmustnotstackmybike]

Well I hope you are.

[LaurieFairyCake]

Hopefully it's just you

[PhilCornwall1]

Am I the only person who thinks foreign aid should be stopped due to the state of our own economy?

No, you're not.

[BeforeIPutOnMyMakeup]

No.

Foreign aid is used as a way to improve our international relations e.g. some of our PPE came from countries we previously gave aid to, and also helps stops more refugees coming here.

It is also a very small amount as it is a percentage of GDP. So if GDP goes down our foreign aid budget goes down.

[Buttercup77]

Foreign aid is also rarely just for altruistic or charitable reasons. A lot of it is diplomatic, tactical and strengthens ties between countries for pragmatic purposes such as favourable trade deals, movement, visas, projects, research etc...

In fact post-Brexit, maintaining favourability and good will with countries we may need would be very prudent

[StoorieHoose]

I'd rather that big companies were made to pay their taxes than stop foreign aid. Think of it as repatriation from the British Empire

[LellyMcKelly]

Yes. It’s 0.7% of our GDP and brings a number of benefits not just to the countries that receive it, but often to the UK as well in terms of improved business relations etc. Does the spending need to be transparent and accountable? Also yes.

[Shamoo]

If we hadn’t spent large parts of our history tearing apart many countries around the world and creating the issues that now exist in many of them, you may have a little more credibility. But we did. And now we are the fifth richest country in the world on the back of a history littered with us taking from other nations and ruining others. So it’s our duty to help.

The fact that we are so terribly run as a nation that we can’t look after our own people properly is a separate point. It shouldn’t be an either or situation. We should be able to use the vast vast wealth and riches we have to do the best by both sets of people in need.

[Mumoblue]

I always notice that those who insist charity start at home and that we look after our own are usually also vocally anti-benefits.

As PP said, no, I think foreign aid is a good thing, it's important for our relations with the rest of the world, and it's a percentage.

How about we keep foreign aid, keep looking after our own, and just chase the tax dodging billionaires.

[Wfhwith3yearold]

I think it depends on the purpose.

Aid to countries where millions are starving without clean water, or where there's been earthquakes/tsunamis. Yes, aid should continue to go there.

Aid to countries where they can fund their own space programs. No, aid should not go there.

I don't think aid should be used to foster better relationships between developed countries, it's not really aid in these cases. Proper aid where needed should continue.

[notheragain4]

No you're not, because there are plenty of ignorant and obtuse people that don't take two minutes to try to understand the myriad of political reasons as to why it happens, and also just don't have the emotional maturity to appreciate that it helps people.

[Guylan]

No and to add to the other well made points, when you look at how the world economy is constructed, the global south are already penalised by policies by International Monetary Fund etc.

[mbosnz]

If we hadn’t spent large parts of our history tearing apart many countries around the world and creating the issues that now exist in many of them, you may have a little more credibility. But we did. And now we are the fifth richest country in the world on the back of a history littered with us taking from other nations and ruining others. So it’s our duty to help.

The fact that we are so terribly run as a nation that we can’t look after our own people properly is a separate point. It shouldn’t be an either or situation. We should be able to use the vast vast wealth and riches we have to do the best by both sets of people in need.

This. Beautifully put, @Shamoo.

[ragged]

If we don't help other countries then they tend to send their problems here.

[BuzzShitbagBobbly]

If you think we're in the shit you don't know the first thing about actual, real life poverty.

Poverty so bad your child dies of thirst - or water so contaminated it gives them horrible, but treatable, illnesses that you can't do anything about.

Poverty so bad you have to live in a one room makeshift shack next to an open sewer. Or just on a traffic island on the open road.

Poverty so bad your life expectancy is in your 20s or 30s.

[HmmLetsSee]

Do you think foreign aid is some charity donation? It's a barter system. Give to receive something else now or later. So we need to keep giving foreign "aid". Every country/nation has something to contribute and Britain benefits quite a lot from these foreign countries they give aids to.

[HeyMaCorona]

Sadly you are not

Though I get why you think it. It's why Trump was elected in the USA

Sad :( ... but understandable view

[letmethinkaboutitfornow]

NO! You are not alone!

I have been puzzled about why on Earth we are giving foreign aid to some countries, especially the one with their own space program (while we don’t have our own!)

We should stop it until our economy is sorted!
I help out in a local food bank... I wish the billions going to corrupt governments would stay in-house for the next few years

[ilovesooty]

Sadly there are undoubtedly plenty of people who think like you.

[ludothedog]

do you know the best way to stop or limit immigration? (not that I have the same issue as some)

Answer - help those who live in countries at war or who are living in poverty/ economic difficulty, to live safe and healthy lives in their own countries.

Very small minded to think that our situations are not connected. Our world is a living microcosm where what happens at one side of the world has an effect on the other. The quicker we realise that we are all interconnected the better.

[sussexmum]

well said ludo

[Drag0nflye]

Foreign aid isn’t actually given for charitable purposes (some of it is but it’s purpose isfor a mutual symbiotic benefit). If the UK received no benefit from giving foreign aid, they simply wouldn’t do it.

It’s given to maintain and gain international relations between countries and for strategic and diplomatic reasons. After Brexit this will be more important than ever. We will probably see this budget increase.

Also by giving aid to disease control, overpopulation, war and disaster relief and pollution projects, this helps our country too. It’s an ebb and flow. All countries are linked together like a fluid mosaic ecosystem. Suffering, war, genocide or disaster in another country affects ours. It causes changes in the import and export of goods, migration, contagion issues and resource scarcity.

[sussexmum]

....not that I'm anti-immigration mind I think nationality is just a meaningless label