Ukip is a party searching for a purpose. In recent weeks, its focus has been on Islam. Now, it has hit on a new ruse to try and win over voters: going after Britain’s foreign aid budget. The party has said it will scrap the 0.7 per cent spending commitment put into law by David Cameron. Like it or not, it’s a popular move – with the millions spent on unwise projects, such as those in North Korea, doing little to endear a sceptical public to the cause of foreign aid. Hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition last year calling for cuts to the aid budget. Polls paint a similar picture of how many feel strongly opposed to the way in which Britain spends its money abroad: a survey carried out earlier this year revealed that as many as 78 per cent of voters wanted cuts to Britain’s £12.4bn annual aid budget.
Ukip’s policy will also hit the pulse in the press.
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