Gwent MP's call to cut foreign aid (From South Wales Argus)

"Cut foreign aid" - Monmouth MP David Davies attacks Coalition policy

8:00am Monday 1st October 2012 in News By David Deans - Politics reporter

THE money the British government spends on foreign aid should be cut by the amount of cash spent on illegal immigrants, a Gwent MP says.

In an exclusive column for today's Argus Monmouth MP David Davies says the country is giving away money we do not have.

David Cameron's commitment to increase aid spending to 0.7 per cent of GDP has come in for criticism from fellow Conservatives, with former cabinet member Gerald Howarth saying he didn't know a single rank-and-file Tory that backed it.

"We currently spent millions every year providing housing, health care, translators, lawyers and a range of other benefits to foreign nationals who should not be in this country," Mr Davies wrote.

"If we must spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on foreign aid, we count all spending on those who shouldn't be in the UK as part of the total amount and deduct it from the bill."

He said that the "dogged insistence" the government has in increasing foreign aid makes it harder to justify government cuts.

Mr Davies previously attacked the coalition in a letter for the Argus back in May, when he said there had been incompetence in the highest levels of government.

Speaking to the Argus Mr Davies said most Tory voters would disagree with what is going on over foreign aid and said it wasn't unreasonable for him to differ with the coalition.

"I'm totally and utterly supportive of the government aim of dealing with the deficit. I'm afraid spending money on foreign aid is not helping us to get rid of the deficit," the MP added.