Emma Mawdsley (SCR): The puzzle of increasing UK foreign aid at a time of ‘austerity’
Under the UK’s previous Conservative-led Coalition government and the current Conservative government, the share of national income allocated to ‘foreign aid’ has increased. Indeed, it was under the current government that the UK first met the UN target of 0.7% GDP. This perplexes many commentators. These increases came after the financial crisis of 2008, and in the context of a government decision to implement deep cuts in almost all other areas of public spending. Moreover, the decision to defend foreign aid spending has been hugely controversial within the Conservative party, and the subject of vitriolic campaigns by influential newspapers like the Daily Mail, which have channelled very substantial resentment from sections of the public. In this pudding seminar I will suggest reasons for the apparent political paradox of why foreign aid has (thus far) been defended and even increased under the last two Governments.
All Senior Members, Students, and Staff are warmly invited to attend the Pudding Seminars, which feature coffee, cake, and lively discussion! To allow people to get to 2pm appointments, please note that coffee and cake will be available from 1 o’clock with the Seminar starting promptly at 1.15 pm.