Friday, May 21, 2010

Will someone rid us of international development?

I said it before the election and I'll say it again, can someone, anyone please explain to me why, at a time when every party agrees the deficit is insanely large and bordering on dangerous, is the Government planning to screw many of its own citizens whilst simultaneously pledging to not screw the budget of the department that gives our money away to other countries?

Why is no one talking about this bloody great elephant in the room? All we hear is how any employee involved in a company share scheme is going to lose a large chunk of money in capital gains, or how fuel prices will probably stay the same as the middle class share the larger burden of the pain to protect the low paid.

Why should a massive burden be placed upon those on say 30K whilst we protect the taxpayers money that we send abroad? Don't get me wrong, international development is not bad per se, but when times are tough at home it ought to be the first budget that starts being cut, no?

I understand why Cameron made his pledge on international development when he did. It was a sop to the soft Left, but times have changed. If he wanted to be bold he would make the case for suspending much of the DfID budget and the country would go with him.

Sadly, neither Cameron or Osborne have the balls to make the case for fear of being labelled xenophobic little englanders. Yet, if they did, it would only be the tree hugging guardianista types that would do so, the majority would nod their heads in agreement though that charity begins at home when you have debt and deficit like ours.

OK, that's my rant over, its Friday so should try to cheer up a bit really.

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