In March last year, the UK passed a bill that enshrined in law it’s commitment to spend 7p out of every £10 of taxpayers money on overseas aid.
The commitment was met with both jubilation and criticism, as some MP’s argued aid spending shouldn’t be protected, whilst cuts were taking place elsewhere.
This month, an attack in the press against foreign aid prompted the Department for International Development to defend itself, but also threw up questions as to whether foreign aid is achieving it’s objectives.
I investigated the state of the foreign aid budget and it’s effectiveness with experts including Simon Lightfoot of Leeds University & Simon Maxwell, former Director of the Overseas Development Institute, the UK’s leading independent think-tank on international development and humanitarian issues.
Patrick Jones 