Step Up To The Plate.

It was reported yesterday that Bill and Melinda Gates will step up and make a £100m contribution to cover some of the UK foreign aid cut that was implemented earlier this year. With many on the Labour back benches calling for the government to put back in place the 0.7% of GNI to the foreign aid budget.

With one Labour MP saying it is embarrassing for the UK that the cut was implemented in the first place. So if Labour were in power they would rather "keep up with the Joneses" rather than let us keep our taxes and let us choose who and when we make a donation to. I am positive that donations would increase to charities once people are given the choice of where to direct their donations. The people of these fair islands are very generous indeed.

I strongly disagree with those who are calling for the figure to rise and believe that the figure should reduce further as we have seen there will be someone who will fill the gap. Those entrepreneurs and charities who have the ability and the will should be stepping up to the plate to fill the gap, if they so choose to. This is not to say that a Libertarian government would not cover disaster relief and humanitarian aid that is a given.

What needs to stop is the waste of our money, taken from us in taxation and being spent on vanity projects across the world and where those who need the help most never receive the full benefits of most of the development aid.

In 2016 there were only six nations who achieved the 0.7% or above and they were, in descending order Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Germany. * *Source fullfact.org

Some very well known nations are way below the 0.7% including France, Spain and Italy.

Everyone has a preferred charity who they like to donate to. Rather than the government deciding where your money is spent, surely it would be better going to a charity of your choice.

Do you trust your money in the hands of a government department for them to decide where it is spent and whom it will benefit? Most of the time the development assistance part of the aid is only spent so contracts can be won.

Or would you like to see it going to a charity of your choice who has expertise in that particular field or an entrepreneur who has the funds and the business knowledge to get it to the people who most need it.

Do you want to have the choice to have your donations spent on helping those in need in this country to help get them back on their feet?

I think the following quote sums up exactly the crux of the matter:

"I want people to get what they need to live: enough food, a place to live and an education for their children. Government does not provide these as well as private charities and businesses." Davy Crockett.

Glenville Gogerly EADW - Libertarian Party Chairman.