Open handed

[Ignis Fatuus]

Thisismoney

a damning report released at the G8 summit reveals that Britain spends more on aid as a percentage of national income than any other country in the world - while British taxpayers suffer through an age of austerity.
The UK is spending exactly twice as much on foreign handouts as a share of Gross Domestic Product as the G8 average of the world's leading economies.

The British bill for foreign aid will be £8.7bn in 2011-2012, rising to more than £12bn in 2014.

So, twice the G8 average is not enough, let's make it 3 times?

[sasguru]

Don't be naive.
The UK doesn't give the money away out of the goodness of its heart.
"Aid" money is usually given to line the pockets of "big men" in dodgy regimes (a small fraction may go into real projects like schools and providing water for poor people).
In return they provide contracts to British companies like British Aerospace, buying Hawk trainers and the like.

That's why the UK has to give more aid money: our products are mainly stuff that governments buy, like arms.
The Germans don't have to give so much because your average "big man" in the 3rd world would buy a Mercedes any way.

HTH

[xoggoth]

Seen that said before but it looks like bulltulip. How many Airbuses have Bangaldesh or Pakistan or Uganda brought recently? Is our trade with countries we give aid to much higher than that of other countries? I doubt it.

[sasguru]

duplicate of below

[sasguru]

Seen that said before but it looks like bulltulip. How many Airbuses have Bangaldesh or Pakistan or Uganda brought recently? Is our trade with countries we give aid to much higher than that of other countries? I doubt it.

I bet all those countries have bought arms from Britain, or granted drilling rights to British oil companies for example.

Why do you think all the leaders of African countries have brimming Swiss bank accounts?

Wikileaks: Moi has stashed $2.1 billion in Swiss account | Family news forum

[xoggoth]

According to this most of the aid budget is through international bodies like the UN and World bank, not much scope for bribery there, not in the UK's favour anyway. Only 27% is direct to regimes.

BBC News - Liam Fox row: Where does the UK's aid money go?