Aid: Something to Boast About?
Analysis
BBC
4.6 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 May 2017
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Why is the UK such a generous global aid donor and should it be? The coalition government legislated to ensure Britain spent 0.7% of its national income on international development and it is now one of the very few countries to meet this United Nations target for such spending. With financial pressures on public services at home remaining acute, Jo Coburn asks why most politicians still support the idea, despite public criticism and press campaigns about wasted money. In her quest, she investigates the history of the UK's support for overseas aid and examines what makes so many politicians willing to risk voters' displeasure on the issue. Producer: Simon Coates.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know. |
| 0:04.6 | My name's Linda Davies and I commission podcast for BBC Sounds. |
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| 0:36.0 | This is the BBC. |
| 0:41.0 | Thanks for downloading analysis, the program exploring the ideas behind the news agenda. |
| 0:45.0 | We're back with a series of nine episodes and today's program touches on The Red Queen, |
| 0:50.0 | windy airports and includes an excursion to Ethiopia. |
| 0:54.0 | Over to Joe Coburn. |
| 0:56.0 | This might not be the programme on foreign aid you were expecting. Shortly before the last general election in 2015, the Westminster Parliament passed legislation |
| 1:11.0 | no other member of the G7 club of rich countries had enacted. |
| 1:15.0 | It committed the UK to spend 0.7% of its gross national income every year on foreign aid. That's about 13 billion pounds. |
| 1:25.2 | Almost all the established political parties at this June's election have renewed |
| 1:30.3 | that pledge, but it hasn't settled the issue. I've seen calls by some |
| 1:35.3 | newspapers and politicians to abandon the UK's cross-party commitment to spend |
| 1:40.1 | 0.7% of its gross national income on international development. |
| 1:45.0 | Bill Gates, billionaire philanthropist and co-founder of the software giant Microsoft. |
| 1:51.0 | In my view, Britain should be praised for sticking to this commitment. It was a |
| 1:55.4 | well-considered decision that sets an example for other countries. It's visible |
... |
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