The Guardian view on the aid target: it’s the fraction that counts | Editorial

Rumours abound that the Tories will abandon the UK's aid target. It would come at a heavy cost

One of the real achievements of the coalition government was setting and reaching the target of spending 0.7% of GDP on development aid. UK aid spending has played a significant role in halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and delivering the great improvements in global health and education that have been achieved over the past decade.

Britain's lead has encouraged others to follow: earlier this year, Germany joined the elite club of countries that had reached the UN-set target. It has enhanced British status and influence across the world. In a report earlier this month, MPs on the cross-party committee on international development concluded, after a lengthy inquiry, that "ODA [official development assistance] spending is in the national interest and is a strong investment contributing to create a more prosperous world, which pays far-reaching dividends including to UK taxpayers at home".

Continue reading...