[ad_1]
On Wednesday, the prime minister faced a growing uprising by conservative supporters over reducing the amount the government sends abroad from 0.7 percent of gross national income to 0.5 percent in 2021. Amid the uproar in Across the political spectrum, a foreign minister resigned in protest of the move. . Express.co.uk conducted a poll asking readers if Johnson was right to break the promise of the Conservatives’ election manifesto and cut the foreign aid budget.
Ninety-eight percent (17,068) of those polled supported the Prime Minister, while only two percent (393) opposed his decision.
Only 62 readers (less than one percent) said they didn’t know.
In the comments, many people said that they would rather have taxpayers’ money channeled to projects in the UK rather than spent abroad.
One person said that all money sent abroad should be stopped until the UK economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
They said: “Foreign aid must continue until we have recovered our country’s economy.
“As for this huge debt, companies that benefited from ‘eating out to help’ should receive a surcharge.
“Also, people who were paid to stay home with 80 percent of their pay should receive a higher tax code when they finally start working again.”
A second reader said that they would prefer that the poorest in British society benefit from the money.
READ MORE: Nosy David Cameron Criticizes Foreign Aid Cut ‘Very Sad’
Another reader said that they could not foresee that the UK would recover after months of lockdown if billions in cash were spent on international projects.
They expressed concern about the country’s ability to combat the pandemic.
They said: “The UK is very busy fighting its internal COVID-19 war, people are dying.”
Other readers suggested that the cash could be better spent on improving mental health services, helping the homeless and supporting veterans across the UK.
A small number of people opposed the Prime Minister’s decision, saying that his failure to fulfill the promise of the manifesto showed that “this is why it is time for a new party like the Reform Party to emerge.”
On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Rishi Sunak said the cut in foreign aid was necessary due to the devastation caused by the coronavirus.
Sunak said: “It is difficult to justify for the British people rigidly sticking to spending 0.7 per cent of our national income on foreign aid, especially when we are seeing the highest levels of borrowing on record in peacetime.”
Instead of the existing target, Sunak said 0.5 percent would be spent in 2021, about £ 10bn.
A total of 17,523 Express.co.uk Readers participated in the survey that was carried out from 2:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. on Wednesday 25 November.
[ad_2]
