Many people are understandably still confused about the huge differences between the official figure of 'just' £3.4 billion for the cost of the Chagos deal, as cited by the Prime Minister, and other estimates which are as high as £30.3 billion. Here's my best attempt to clarify. The top figure of £30.3 billion (which I … Continue reading What is the real cost of the Chagos deal?
Category: international development
Should overseas aid be cut to fund more spending on defence?
This week the Prime Minister announced that UK defence spending will now be raised from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income in 2027, funded by cutting overseas aid from 0.5% to 0.3%. The politics around this switch are controversial – the minister responsible for aid has just resigned in protest – but the economics is … Continue reading Should overseas aid be cut to fund more spending on defence?
Why I’d vote against the cuts to UK aid
MPs will hopefully soon have the chance to vote on whether the UK should restore spending on foreign aid to the mandated level of 0.7% of GNI (gross national income). This is surely the right thing to do. First, the arguments in favour of cutting the target to 0.5% are weak. The Government’s case is … Continue reading Why I’d vote against the cuts to UK aid
Plain-speaking Economics 