UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party : Margot Parker MEP calls for trade not aid

MARGOT Parker has called for more trade, not aid, to help impoverished countries help themselves.

The East Midlands UKIP MEP said despite the ongoing severe economic hardship being suffered by many people in this country, there is still a massive and increasing spend on foreign aid expenditure.

She said: 'Many people object to taxpayers' money being sent to already economically thriving countries, countries with poor human rights' records and to money being spent on politically correct vanity projects which do nothing to lift developing nations out of poverty.

'Removing barriers to trade is a far more effective way to tackle poverty than giving hand-outs, which can provide incentives for corrupt leaders to stifle economic progress.

'We do recognise that money for emergency aid must be made available - examples are Ebola outbreaks or severe flooding, where aid and indeed know-how are required to help people suffering from such disasters.

'But we also support - as part of trade and not aid - mechanisms such as small business and enterprise apprenticeships overseas, whereby British workers can help people in agriculture and indeed, small cottage industry skills.

'The USA has carried out projects in India, helping women in the garment trade. his bolsters the skills set of people in poorer countries and opens up trade avenues with the UK.

'This type of small co-operative enterprise helps sustain families and allows people to become more self-sufficient.'

Mrs Parker said UKIP was committed to creatively helping the poorest countries in the world with educational tools and the formation of apprenticeships to train people and help lift them out of poverty in a sustainable way by promoting trade between the UK and those countries.

She said: 'It cannot be right that, for example, since 2010 our police, crown prosecutors, and prisons staff have been cut beyond recognition, (we saw the effects in week's depressing crime data), while, concurrently, approximately £20bn per year was sent annually, from our UK taxes, either to the EU, or non-emergency overseas aid schemes.'