Friday 24 September 2010

So, Is It Charity, Or Blackmail?

Nick Clegg seems to be hedging his bets a little:
Nick Clegg has mounted a robust defence of the foreign aid bill and claimed that the coalition will commit Britain by law to spend billions overseas every year.
Oh, really? And why?
Mr Clegg insisted that the aid bill was in our ‘self-interest’ and linked the plight of the poor abroad to terrorism and immigration problems at home.
Ah, it’s ransom money, then, ‘don’t hurt us too badly!’ money, is it?
He admitted he had a ‘job to explain to people back home’ why the UK would put into law its promise to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid.
I’ll say!

After all, it’s not like others haven’t reached different conclusions:
Germany slashed its aid budget by 12 per cent to divert spending to priorities at home.
We should have emulated them.
Mr Clegg stressed that, ‘while we are experiencing hardship on our own shores, it does not compare to the abject pain and destitution of others’.
I daresay it doesn’t, but we aren’t responsible for that! The only responsibility UK politicians should have is to the UK taxpayer.
Mr Clegg will today meet U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in the White House.

He said he wanted to discuss with Mr Biden how he tackled issues facing ‘Middle America’ such as welfare reform and tax.
In other words, he wanted advice on how to head off any possible attempts to get the Tea Party movement started here….

6 comments:

Timdog said...

Neither. It's grandstanding bollocks from politicians who think their world standing is more important than the state of their own country.

It's a hereditary disease, all descendants of Blair (read 99 out of every 100 current politicians) suffer from it.

Smoking Hot said...

Timdog is absolutely correct.

Everytime l see aid announced for foreign countries l look at the share value of Mercedes!

Mick Turatian said...

Neither. It's an utter waste of money. Developing countries would be far better served by free access for their goods to our markets.

Indyanhat said...

I wanted to slap Clegg before he embarked on the coalition now I cnnot write what I would like to happen to him for fear of prosecution!!!

JuliaM said...

"...grandstanding bollocks from politicians who think their world standing is more important than the state of their own country. "

Spot on!

"Developing countries would be far better served by free access for their goods to our markets."

Which is, I suspect, why it'll never happen. You don't kill the golden goose that lays so many government-funded employment eggs...

"...now I cnnot write what I would like to happen to him for fear of prosecution!!!"

Just don't Tweet it... :)

moriarty said...

"So, Is It Charity, Or Blackmail?"

Neither, it's just bribery. "Here's some money, aren't we a nice country? So much nicer and more profitable to support our business deals/UN resolutions/progressive values, we're so generous to our friends.