Owen Barder has a suggestion for a question that someone ought to ask in tonight’s leaders debate:
We understand that all the main parties are committed to increasing aid to 0.7% of GDP, with some relatively minor differences about how that would be used. But if we are serious about development, we need to look beyond aid to address the circumstances in which developing countries are trying to establish economic growth and political stability. Our other policies – for example, on trade, climate change or immigration – make a huge difference to how quickly poor countries can develop. Will you, as Prime Minister, be willing to make changes to UK policies which are against the immediate interests of a group of UK citizens – for example, arms exporters or pharmaceutical firms – but which support our collective longer term interest in seeing a fairer, safer and more prosperous world? If so, what concessions would you make?
