Ed Miliband says Labour will honour pledge of £11.6bn in overseas climate aid

19 comments

1. Still no money to stop the two child benefit cap though…

   Labour and tories – two cheeks of the same arse.

2. As long as this money is spent on actual climate policies and implementations, great.

   If this money is spent on Ferraris by African leaders, then no thanks.

3. Alleged 20 billion shortfall, here is 11 billion they could save. Let’s save the world while our own country goes down the toilet.

4. How about spend that here on our green policies instead lol.

5. Seeing as Rachel Reeves made the offensive analogy of government finances being like household finances, they deserve every bit of bad press they will receive for this.

6. People reading the headline are a bit wrong. Ed miliband is saying he will keep the pledge going till 2025-26. Still means £2.9B a year, but then if it’s going to good causes, i don’t overly want to complain (although hearing rumours of Labour ditching things like HS2 euston & Portishead Line over costs, yet them still having £5.8B spend for this does irk me a little)

7. This money would be **so** much better spent at home in the UK, where it would be so much more accountable and traceable. Aid spending is notoriously inefficient, all too often disappearing into the bank accounts of dodgy local officials.

   £11.6 billion could go a long way – imagine if it was allocated for UK-based R&D spending on things like green energy, next generation biofuels, geo-engineering projects, climate modelling supercomputers, EVs and so on. Then the spending would be a win-win, supporting UK based jobs while also helping the world. But nooo let’s just send it abroad and fund some corrupt politicians’ shopping trips to Milan and Pairs.

8. Well, at least they made it a few weeks before taking the fucking piss.

9. It’s amusing that in the article about foreign aid people in the comments are simultaneously arguing “spend the money on people in the UK instead” and “we shouldn’t spend money on the 2 child cap why should I pay for your kids?”

   Same every time.

   I suspect the people arguing to spend the money on people at home aren’t being very sincere.

10. I hear Africa is hosting a concert to raise money for our poor, it’s called miliband aid

11. It should all be diverted to our own green pledges

12. I’d like to see a policy of minimising cash aid and maximising aid in the form of British made goods.

    If we want to help poor countries produce green power, we should offer to have British companies knock them together some offshore wind turbines. They get clean energy, we get the jobs and infrastructure for building more. We should really be aiming to leverage our specialism and become the offshore wind provider to the world.

13. Labour funding their friends projects off shore?

    No, don’t be silly. That’s a tory thing.

14. I say no unnecessary overseas spending.

    That £11.6b could be spent on the NHS, Social Security, or something at home.

    We must take a stand and say, “Sorry after the Tory spending, we must prioritise necessary spending. Climate change is not necessary right now. We will pledge when we can afford the luxury of such things.”

    A Richard move, yeah, but we have to prioritise spending where it is needed the most.

15. Corrupt third world politicians boutta have a field day with that money

16. Er…. shouldn’t that be used for the UK, first? I mean, we’re kinda in a fucked state where we have shitty waters, infastructure that is in dire need of forced upgrading, the education and NHS systems aren’t fit for purpose. Teachers are expected to be parents, have up to 30-40 students to teach per class. Get no support.

17. I thought there was no money left?

    Looks like ‘at least they aren’t the Tories’ got them exactly this far…

18. The U.K. has become a poverty-ridden shithole and the quality of life for many now is basic subsistence. Who gives us aid?! And would said countries be returning the favour if we fell on even worse times. I think you know the answer.

    Tax rises to come to pay for all these ‘good deeds’ they spend our money on

19. Yeah, go ahead. Tax your middle class into a fucking oblivion and spend it abroad. Thanks