New analysis by the TaxPayers’ Alliance demonstrates that British foreign aid spending has little to no bearing on the freedom experienced in receiving countries. The research, which uses a series of well-respected indices to deliver an overall “freedom score”, plots that score against the amount of foreign aid a country has received. This freedom score encompasses freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of the internet and business and economic freedom.
As Parliament returns with a Bill to enshrine foreign aid spending in law entering Committee stage, our research suggests that the current approach to development is not delivering the progress many hoped. There are many reasons for this, but as donor countries look to improve the effectiveness of their aid spending, it is crucial to assess the progress made over the last decade.