The UK is being praised for
continuing to raise national output dedicated to aid, in line with
international targets. UK’s annual aid budget is £10 billions.

At the same time, Spain has cut
overseas aid by 50%; Italy has made cuts of 34%; Greece has cut by 17% (though
no one could be critical of that); Portugal has made a reduction of 13%.
Germany, France and US have made reductions also, but by a smaller margin. The
EU concedes it will break the promise to meet aid goals.

The UK’s
coalition government needs to get out of the sun. THEY ARE AUTHORISING THE BORROWING
OF LARGE SUMS OF MONEY ANNUALLY, AND THEN THEY GIVE A HUGE CHUNK AWAY IN
OVERSEAS AID. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY SAY THAT UK PENSIONERS WHO LIVE ABROAD,
ARE LIKELY TO LOSE WINTER FUEL PAYMENTS, BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE AFFORDED.

The cost of the Winter Fuel Payments
is £2.1 billions to all qualifiers annually, so why not half the aid budget, as
Spain has done, so that Winter Fuel Payments can be retained at no extra cost.
Additionally, the other savings of £2.9 billions could be given to the NHS.

No one wishes the poorer people in
the world to starve or be poisoned by contaminated water, of course not.
However, the UK is a country that cannot properly care for its own people right
now, let alone half of the rest of the world. We are suffering a severe
economic downturn, and common sense dictates that we have to cut our cloth
accordingly. That includes the cessation of monetary donations that we haven’t
got, to countries who don’t seem to like us much anyway.

UK has in place a £1.4 billions 5
year aid plan to Pakistan – yet only some 1% of the population there pays
income tax. Perhaps that other 99%, has very little income. Well, I’m retired,
I have little income, but I still pay Income Tax and my government gives it
away without my agreement. Then, they plan to end the Winter Fuel Payment just
because I live in Spain.

It doesn’t make a lot of sense, if
you are a UK national, does it.

It seems to me that Jewish law,
inspired by the writings of Isaiah, has it right. Family members have
precedence over other needy individuals or causes in our charity decisions.

Charity
begins at home!!

 Brian Clark