Increase

UK national debt too high to constitute more spending in an area where we have little to no control over. Seems like a gift rather than an exchange. I shouldn’t pay tax for people not living in the country and sometimes not even the same continent for nothing in return.

Millions of people die every year from preventable illnesses, malnutrition and violence. This is unacceptable in our society and increasing foreign aid could go some way to mitigate these threats.

We have removed Department for International Development, which helped people across the world. It has now merged with the Foreign Office to become the FCDO. Increasing funding legitimises it as a department through which these aims can be achieved

China's Belton Road Initiative has helped developing countries all around the world and helped turn cHina into the superpower it is today.

How much of our GDP do you think we spend on Foreign Aid? It is largely assumed that it is considerably more than the current 0.5%. Until very recently we had been giving 0.7%, even this is a trifling amount when the disparity between the rich and poor nations are considered. Within our lifetime, western governments have cancelled the debt of many third world countries. This act has enabled many countries that simply could not invest in their country make considerable in-roads into basic humanitarian needs such as universal education for their children and investment into their healthcare systems. Many countries the were held down by the burden of debt interest repayments are now thriving more than they have ever done in the past. Decreasing the gap between the wealthy and the poor makes a safer world for us all.

The money should be invested in improving the living conditions for people on the UK first and resolving our own issues, such as the health service, which is in crisis with lack of staff and waiting times at an all time high. Money should be funded to improve education and school buildings, reducing homelessness, and more funding to our own military operations.