The news was leaked this week that Defence Secretary Liam Fox had written to the Prime Minister questioning our overseas aid commitments.
His letter touched a raw nerve amongst backbenchers.
Interestingly, every single departmental budget has been slashed – bar one.
The Department for International Development (DfID) alone expects a 34 per cent increase this year.
The Prime Minister has pledged 0.7% of GDP to the foreign aid budget by 2013, which will take last year’s £7.4 billion up to £11.4 billion.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance says that is enough to pay for 36 hospitals or 450 schools.
Even David Cameron admits this is a ‘difficult commitment.’
I go further.
We should drop it.
Struggling under a mountain of debt, we can’t even fund lollipop ladies here in Dorset.
What’s worse is that the Government’s proposing to enshrine the 0.7 per cent commitment in law, which was, in fact, what Dr Fox was objecting to.
His point was that foreign governments could sue if we don’t fulfil our pledges.
I agree.
Putting ourselves in a spending straitjacket when there are so many pressing demands on our finances is folly.
And, talking of straitjackets, I’m concerned about committing the Military Covenant – even in principle – to law, although as a former soldier I support the motive.
While everything must be done to provide for our armed forces, placing the law in-between the State and the military is a high risk strategy.
When I served, we did what we were told by our political masters, whom you, the electorate, had put there.
And we did what we had to do without ever wondering whether we could sue the government of the day for poor equipment, bad political decisions, an unjust war, or whatever reason you care to dream up.
On my first point, I believe charity starts at home, and the UK needs it aplenty right now.
On my second, politicians must think carefully before making promises.