Contrary to the clamour from the suitable,using the army to help flooding victims makes far more sense than redirecting abroad aidIt is a neat calculation: the first estimates of the stop-of-year flood damage in the north of England suggested a bill of a exiguous over £1bn. Or, as sections of the rightwing press maintained, and pretty much the same as the UK spends on help for the world’s “20 most corrupt countries”. Cue indignation from the diehard opponents of the 0.7% of GDP that is currently earmarked for abroad aid.
And whether you are among those whose homes have been inundated over Christmas,and you’ve learned that requests for improved flood defences were turned down by Westminster, you might well agree. The money is there, and you would say; it is just a question of redirecting it from maladministered projects and ministerial Mercedes abroad to kind,clean, value-for-money schemes here. Charity begins – does it not? – at home?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com