Nigel Farage says UK shouldn’t be ‘giving a penny’ to India after Moon touchdown

Nigel Farage claims the UK shouldn’t be “giving a penny” of overseas assist to India if it has the sources to land on the floor of the Moon.

On Wednesday, the Chandrayaan-3 rocket made historical past when it turned the primary automobile to land on the Moon’s south pole. It is an space that little is thought about.

It additionally made India – the world’s most populous nation – solely the fourth nation to land any form of automobile on the Moon. With the United States, China, and Russia already having performed so.

It has led to calls from former UKIP chief Nigel Farage for the UK Government to cease sending overseas assist to India. It is believed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) despatched £33.4 million to India in 2022/23.

This is anticipated to develop to £57 million in 2024/25. Speaking on GB News, Farage stated: “India managed to land a probe on the Moon on the south pole of the Moon, no other country has ever managed to achieve this before.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated it is a ‘nice victor for brand spanking new India’, speaking about hundreds extra funding going into the science sector. Well good for India.

“As they spend their money on space probes, as they spend their money on the military, on nuclear weapons, still half of their country lives below the poverty line. The biggest injustice of all is that between 2016 and 2021, we at the United Kingdom gave £2.3 billion of foreign aid to India.

“Our contribution subsequent yr goes up 70%. I’m going to place it to you people that I do not suppose we ought to be giving a penny of your cash in overseas assist to a rustic that has sufficient sources to land on the Moon.”

According to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, a majority of the cash sent to India from the UK supports “growth funding”, “analysis partnerships” and other projects aiming at supporting the relationship between the two nations.

The ICAI says the UK does not fund poverty projects or offer financial support to the Indian Government. It did however rate the impact UK aid has on India as being “amber to pink” – the second worst.

It said: “While the help portfolio could also be serving to to assist UK-India bilateral relations, it lacks a robust hyperlink to poverty discount, which stays the statutory function of UK assist.”

The Government defended suggestions it focuses on reducing climate change instead. It said: “We word, however don’t settle for ICAI’s view that there’s lack of express rationale on poverty discount. The overview additionally recognises nonetheless that it’s financial progress that has pushed the discount in poverty in India, each by offering extra alternatives for poor folks to extend their incomes and by authorities having the ability to make investments extra in infrastructure and providers.”