to ask if you agree that we "should not be sending aid to bongo bongo land"

[ICBINEG]

Aside the ridiculous racist overtones of the statement itself....if you can...

The adorable MEP on radio 4 this morning was suggesting that it is inappropriate to be sending aid abroad when we are cutting police, hospitals and the defence back home.

The interviewer pointed out the last aid dispatched was 50 million to help with a polio outbreak in the Sudan area.

The MEP basically said if people want to give to charity they can, the government shouldn't and I think the majority of your listeners agree.

So please answer if you will:

1. Did you hear the interview?
2. Do you agree that we should stop sending foreign aid?
3. Can you believe he said bongo bongo? In 2013???

baby thank you for that post - very interesting and thought provoking reading.

1. No
2. Partly - Agree with Holly about not to countries that have enough money to look after themselves. Not to countries who's goverment could afford it if they stopped spending all the money on themselves. In this country we have kids going to bed without having eaten all day, sleeping on the floor because their family's can't afford food, furniture or heating. Shouldn't we be spending our money on helping them rather than relying on charity's such as children in need to help projects to feed kids in our own country whilst our money goes abroad!! - i just don't understand it.
3. Doesn't surprise me!

If he can say 'bongo bongo land' in public, I dread to think what his ilk say in private...

Someone mentioned up thread about a colonistic attitude.

This as well. I think people forget that luck really does depend on which side of the world you were born. And I think people also forget that there is lack of contraception in these countries and that men really do rule the roost.

It's all rather sad without that wanker adding insult to injury :(

Just to be clear, India REJECTED aid from the UK.

To answer the OP,

1. No.
2. Yes, you can't afford it.
3. It's an irrelevance.

1. Yes
2. Some reservations about foreign aid:

a) There are long standing issues with governance and accountability. Undoubtedly a lot of money has paid by poor people in rich countries to be siphoned off by rich people in poor countries. However, DfiD has really got its act together recently about evaluating the effectiveness of aid projects. b) The recent massive Chinese investment in Africa does seems to be more effective for e.g. developing Nigeria's infrastructure and human capital than any amount of Western aid (though without any ties to human rights requirements etc.). They also offer a new market for African produce, as the EU is very protectionist of its own primary produce. c) I am really uneasy about sending aid to middle income states which have enough money to develop nuclear weapons (India, Pakistan).

These are reservations though, rather than actually thinking we should stop it (and certainly Action Aid and Christian Aid do a fantastic job helping people to help themselves through education, very targeted project etc).

3. Totally unacceptable and racist term

1. no
2. no
3. yes, he is a UKIP member, why would anyone be surprised that he is a racist?!

no
No, absolutely not.
Sadly, yes from this particular character.

I just get so weary knowing that racist and xenophobic old farts like this still exist in public life. It's just so.....bleehhhemmmemammm, just, tired of it y'know. I honestly thought they all died in 1973, but apparently not.

cush yup the plan to outlive the bigots is a slow one to come to fruition...but just another 20 years or so....

I just don't understand how these old bigots don't realise that we all live on the same fucking planet and are all entitled to a decent quality of life on it. It seems they believe that's a right only extended to white, middle class British blokes, i.e. people just like them. Tell me it'll change ICBINEG, tell me it'll change.... :(

It will ...it will...but very slowly....

I'm actually suprized at the amount of people agreeing with him on this thread, this being Mumsnet n'all.

No
Yes
Sadly yes though I wish it were not so

surprised even.

I realise most mnetters are anti ukip and the bongo bongo reference very silly - however putting that aside I belie ve charity begins at home and whilst of course we should continue to support things like vaccinations and anti famine projects I cant think for the life of me why we are sending money to places like India which is spending huge amounts on space projects - also Pakistan is spending far more than we can afford on defence. Why should are cancer sufferers and disabled children be unable to access much needed drugs etc whilst w send these huge amounts of money abroad.

no
yes
no

No-one is "entitled" to a decent quality of life. It's something that has to be worked for.

hmm cancer sufferers....

Is it crazy to say that a child born in Sudan into crippling poverty, who will never have water or food security, whose life will be put at risk by every childhood disease going, might actually bite your hand off for the chance to become a 50 something cancer sufferer?

Is it really more important that my taxes be spent getting lifesaving treatment to a 50 something person in the UK than to a newborn baby in Sudan?

I would say it was. We can't solve all the problems in the world, no matter how much money we throw at it.

can you articulate why though Tabitha?

1. Yes
2. Was it a billion pounds a month? If that is what it is then I'm surprised the government say they can't afford 2 billion a year for a proper legal aid system here - though I agree with supporting aid in general terms.

3.Shocked and saddened.

No
Yes - Our own country needs sorting out before we throw millions at other countries. This country cannot solve the problems of the entire world

19% of my taxes already go to treating people in the UK, why should I resent the 0.36% that stops children from dying of polio in Sudan?

Given the direct choice between saving the life of a baby in Sudan and the life of a 50 year old in the UK, I would save the baby. Because the 50 year old has had a good crack at life....

A harder question would be would I choose for my tax to save the life of a UK baby over a Sudanese one....I like to think there isn't much in it.

Of course I would fall of the band wagon big time if asked if I would rather save my own baby or yours....

I guess all this means is that my extended family is the world, not the population of the UK alone.

I'd like to show you what you've just written when you're a 50 year old cancer sufferer - I wonder would you really refuse all life saving drugs?