Harriet Harman has demanded that foreign aid spending continue to rise, despite the fact that we are facing mammoth cutbacks to our services at home.
Speaking at Labours Liverpool conference, Harman told listeners that it was harder to make the case for foreign aid in the light of the governments austerity drive but that we should still continue shelling out money abroad.
"...we must not make the world's poorest pay the price of a global financial crisis, precipitated by the greed and irresponsibility of the world's banking system" she said.
The average British taxpayer didn't get rich out of the "greedy and irresponsible" banking system either, but we're sure paying the price, and having to pay for foreign aid as well.
"And we should also pay tribute, too, to the massive support that comes from the communities of African origin in this country who are working hard here and sending money back home" Harman also said, surely informing us plainly that one effect of the multicultural society is that money is sent abroad and lost to the British economy.
The whole speech is a paean of praise for foreign aid, the great wonders it is working, and how we should spend more on it, accompanied by the odd - surely sexist - dig that a male development team can't empower "women and girls in the developing world".
Foreign aid fails, just ask the likes of Imran Khan, perhaps you should have invited him along to the conference to offer his opinion Harriet. Wait, he's not a woman, maybe it was a woman only shortlist to attend?
Sorry Harriet, we've heard it all before, and it's all the erroneous babble of the do gooder, or those with a vested interest in funnelling vast amounts of British money abroad.
By spending billions we compound problems, such as unsustainable population growth in lands which do not even have the resources to support their current populations, fuel corruption, and remove incentive for these countries to do a thing about fixing their own problems.
Our money is squandered, we throw it into a bottomless pit annually, the demands of foreign aid will never end, and seemingly - despite ploughing billions into some countries over the years - they still need more.
As a final word from Harriet, "But when people are dying unnecessarily and - we can help – that is what we must do".
We can agree on that, although of course not how Harriet intended - whilst one pensioner goes hungry in Britain, or dies of cold in winter, whilst one Brit suffers due to lack of medical care, whilst one British life can be saved were that money spent at home, that is what we must do, here at home is where we must spend our money.
