UK aid to India £1bn, they place £13bn plane order with France

[Dedworth]

Well that's gratitude! We give India £1bn in aid, THEY snub the UK and give France a £13bn jet contract

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1l7MIuL2d


Another valid reason for cancelling these coistly handouts

[tone]

It's clear that someone or a group of Indians are receiving kickbacks for the order.
It's just like so many other countries, those in power can ask for so much, I've heard at close hand the types of demands from senior officials.

But playing devils advocate we (Britain) are sending money (called aid) to a country we want to get orders for is quite similar to what the French are probably doing.

The bottom line is why are we giving tax payers money to a country that's not capable of sorting its self out when there is so much wealth there!
I guess the greed is so great and a lack of giving a sharing within India is holding back it's own ability to sort out its own poverty issues.

I would have thought if the payments are staggered over 4 years Britain could just say not now to the handout!

[andy222]

Blame the government. Then again I suppose they will blame labour.

[Dedworth]

Blame the government. Then again I suppose they will blame labour.

I think its the Limp Dems (following on from Labour) who are hell bent on throwing taxpayers money at dictators, toilet states and industrialised nations like India and Brazil Cameron should put a stop to it

[andy222]

I agree dedwoth. I think they are all on the drugs.

[tone]

As ever it's a bloody waste of money, time and salary of a huge number of people...

It's a total disgrace.

[Englishman2010]

I've been to India many times, although I haven't been since 2001. But even then it was quite clear that while there is certainly a lot of real poverty there, there is also a very wealthy class of people who have far too much. India has developed a lot in the last 10 years, with the largest middle class anywhere in the world. India also has one of the top 10 GDP's in the world and more billionaires than the UK. There is enough money to go around in India, but it is held by the obscenely rich elite. I'm not advocating socialism or communism, but something needs to be done to redistribute the wealth there.
India is rich enough to buy fighter jets, develop nuclear missiles and put rockets in space, we should not be sending them any more aid. They must get their own priorities right and feed/house their own people before they think about putting rockets and satellites into orbit

[stevie c]

I've been to India many times, although I haven't been since 2001. But even then it was quite clear that while there is certainly a lot of real poverty there, there is also a very wealthy class of people who have far too much. India has developed a lot in the last 10 years, with the largest middle class anywhere in the world. India also has one of the top 10 GDP's in the world and more billionaires than the UK. There is enough money to go around in India, but it is held by the obscenely rich elite. I'm not advocating socialism or communism, but something needs to be done to redistribute the wealth there.
India is rich enough to buy fighter jets, develop nuclear missiles and put rockets in space, we should not be sending them any more aid. They must get their own priorities right and feed/house their own people before they think about putting rockets and satellites into orbit

Well put Ian my thoughts exactly

[nnomad]

Well that's gratitude! We give India £1bn in aid, THEY snub the UK and give France a £13bn jet contract

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1l7MIuL2d


Another valid reason for cancelling these coistly handouts

i would reserve my judgment on this until i knew how much France has given in " aid "...

[grahamw48]

I've been to India many times, although I haven't been since 2001. But even then it was quite clear that while there is certainly a lot of real poverty there, there is also a very wealthy class of people who have far too much. India has developed a lot in the last 10 years, with the largest middle class anywhere in the world. India also has one of the top 10 GDP's in the world and more billionaires than the UK. There is enough money to go around in India, but it is held by the obscenely rich elite. I'm not advocating socialism or communism, but something needs to be done to redistribute the wealth there.
India is rich enough to buy fighter jets, develop nuclear missiles and put rockets in space, we should not be sending them any more aid. They must get their own priorities right and feed/house their own people before they think about putting rockets and satellites into orbit

Absolutely right.

However, while there is rampant bribery and corruption throughout government and industry in most countries, with constant under the counter deals between the two, nothing will change.

[Englishman2010]

Fastly developing countries like India, Brazil, China ...etc should really invest in proper free healthcare, a welfare state, education, transport systems for the masses ...etc before they buy/build rockets and bombs.

China currently holds 3Trillion USD of foreign currency reserves, yet there are still over a billion people in China who earn less than 1USD a day and have no access to free healthcare, education or get a state pension

[Terpe]

i would reserve my judgment on this until i knew how much France has given in " aid "...

The only clue to that is actually contained within the article,

Britain is sending £280million to India for each of the next four years, even though the country has more billionaires than Britain and has its own space programme.

The aid package is 15 times larger than the £18million France sent to India in 2009.

Personally I always take any writing from the Daily Mail with kilo of salt.

I have no understanding at all on military jets and have absolutely no idea whether the British ones or the French ones are the best choice for India. I also don't have information on which I can form a sensible opinion.

On the issues on UK foreign aid however, like most people, I do have some opinion.(Not saying it's sensible though)

I don't happen to believe that just giving wads of money to the governments of other countries actually does any good at all. I wonder if there's any feedback mechanism to determine that?

I'd be much happier if the UK government could use it's Foreign Aid billions to actually set-up and fund an organisation that could actually manufacture something like emergency tents/shelters, portable clean water systems, portable medical clinics, blankets, coolers, lighting, emergency food rations, clothing etc.
I'm no expert but the list could be huge. Such an organisation could also provide specialist training for skills in construction, infrastucture, railways,medical, agricultural etc.

Well at least that money could be used to provide 'aid' to those countries who need it most, and at the same time provide the UK with employment opportunites educational opportunites and some manufacturing opportunies to boost our own economy.

I'm not sure where that kind of idea came from, it's not my orginal idea.

Perhaps I should steer clear of the Tanduay for while

[grahamw48]

Sounds like a very good idea to me.

Isn't the 'British Council' supposed to be doing stuff like that though, not to mention VSO ?

Maybe give some of the aid budget to them to expand on the work they already do.

[Iani]

Reading between the lines on this story, it seems the French tender was cheaper, and this is the first round of bidding.
Any company which accepts a higher cost bid over a lower, needs it's procurement department investigated.

Having said that, looking at the technical details, the British product seems superior to the French - and that is totally putting aside any national feeling, BUT it's more expensive.

Really maybe the real story here, is why are we giving aid to a country which is fast developing, has an exploding population, and will soon be in direct competition with us.
On top of this, they have a space programme, spend huge sums of money on military and bomb development - whilst millions of their people live in the most grinding poverty.
What a wonderful country to aspire to

[grahamw48]

We have a great track record of assisting the competition, potential competition and potential enemies.

Unfortunately greed and short-term gain always overrides future consequences....going right back to selling guns to 'Red Indians'.

[Dedworth]

India tells Britain: We don't want your aid

India’s Finance Minister has said that his country “does not require” British aid, describing it as “peanuts”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-your-aid.html

Memo to D Cameron - Cross 'em off the list

[Englishman2010]

India tells Britain: We don't want your aid

India’s Finance Minister has said that his country “does not require” British aid, describing it as “peanuts”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...-your-aid.html

Memo to D Cameron - Cross 'em off the list

That's gratitude How about saying thank you next time

[grahamw48]

Maybe we should transfer ALL the callcentres to the Philippines too, seeing as India is all so grown up and independent now. They can start by generating their own employment, and we can understand what the hell the person on the helpline is blinkin talking about.

[tone]

That's a terribly arrogant attitude! Screw em, I'm sure another £260m left to UK plc is going to be better used.

[Dedworth]

That's a terribly arrogant attitude! Screw em, I'm sure another £260m left to UK plc is going to be better used.

I wouldn't be too sure about that one - they'd probably spend it on Roma or other sundry undesirables