Brexit, the economy and house prices part 5

Arklight

Rinoa wrote: »

You're now asking a different question. However, last year we gave away over £13Bn in foreign aid.

I think that's sufficient on its own, don't you?

The aid that's "given away" isn't quite as given away as you might think. For developing world projects the recipient governments have to jump through an array of hoops to receive the money. They also have to hire British auditors, British contractors, and use British materials transported by British shipping agents.


I'm not saying there is anything wrong with this, it's our money after all, but it isn't a free handout we see nothing back from.

Malthusian

mayonnaise wrote: »

That's how it's supposed to work no?
We see the same on a national level where London and the South East pretty much subsidises deprived counties like Yorkshire and such.

And at what point do we admit that on current trends Sunderland will never be as prosperous as London, and that subsidy does not develop economies but destroys them?

Arklight

I finally got around to watching the Bognor based Brexit recruitment agency documentary:


http://www.channel4.com/programmes/british-workers-wanted


I did feel sorry for the one British bloke the ladies found in the entire town who wanted to work and couldn't get ahead on the £7.50 an hour all the Poles were working for.


Eventually he will figure out that anyone with any get up and go in Bognor, uses it to get up and go to Portsmouth or Southampton where the decent paying jobs are. Hopefully the Poles will all go on strike and the employers in that area will be forced to pay a living wage.

westernpromise

Rinoa wrote: »

You're now asking a different question. However, last year we gave away over £13Bn in foreign aid.

How much came with the string attached that it had to be spent in Britain?

When we give what UKIP would call Bongo-Bongo-Land £20 million to develop their electricity industry or to privatise a port, typically the money comes with the proviso that it has to be spent with a British company. So quite a lot of "foreign" aid is in fact a form of indoor relief for UK management consultancies.

Rinoa

Arklight wrote: »

The aid that's "given away" isn't quite as given away as you might think. For developing world projects the recipient governments have to jump through an array of hoops to receive the money. They also have to hire British auditors, British contractors, and use British materials transported by British shipping agents.

And so they should. At least we get something back for our generosity.

Now, in the Eu we give Billions to eastern Europe. OK Germany give a tad more. But countries like Poland (10Bn net recipients) import 10 times as much stuff from Germany as from the UK.

Easy to see who benefits from EU budget contributions.

cogito

Arklight wrote: »

Believe it or not the numbers of students are dropping

Oh yeah?

https://www.itv.com/news/2017-11-27/ucas-university-admissions-eu/

setmefree2

Department for International Trade to recruit trade commissioners for global SCS posts

https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/news/department-international-trade-recruit-trade-commissioners-global-scs-posts

Rinoa

westernpromise wrote: »

How much came with the string attached that it had to be spent in Britain?

When we give what UKIP would call Bongo-Bongo-Land £20 million to develop their electricity industry or to privatise a port, typically the money comes with the proviso that it has to be spent with a British company. So quite a lot of "foreign" aid is in fact a form of indoor relief for UK management consultancies.

Typical.

We give away £13Bn in aid and the liberal elite complain the recipients can't spend it on French or German products.

Arklight

cogito wrote: »

Oh yeah?

https://www.itv.com/news/2017-11-27/ucas-university-admissions-eu/

Which clearly says EU students are dropping.


That's fine though, we don't need them.

cogito

westernpromise wrote: »

How much came with the string attached that it had to be spent in Britain?

When we give what UKIP would call Bongo-Bongo-Land £20 million to develop their electricity industry or to privatise a port, typically the money comes with the proviso that it has to be spent with a British company. So quite a lot of "foreign" aid is in fact a form of indoor relief for UK management consultancies.

And why not? Should we just hand the money over to some tin pot dictator to stash away in his Swiss bank account like used to happen?