• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • 2018 in review

    Wackiest UK aid headlines of 2018

    Devex rounds up some of the most misreported aid stories of the year.

    By Jessica Abrahams // 20 December 2018
    A person reading a newspaper. Photo by: Kaboompics

    LONDON — The British media has a complex relationship with aid. From the Daily Express’ energetic campaign to “Stop The Foreign Aid Madness” to the constant accusation that “fat cats” are “soaking up” the budget, this is a sector that has never quite been able to convince the tabloids of its merits.

    Amid a difficult political environment, attacks on aid did not abate during 2018, offering a colorful selection of headlines. Here are some you might have seen, but wish you hadn’t.

    Most questionable use of the word ‘shock’

    From the Express

    The Express was outraged to discover in January that “only SIX countries spend as much money on overseas aid as the U.K.,” with the news emerging from a “shock” Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report. Given the U.K. is the world’s fifth largest economy, that might not seem so unreasonable.

    As it has held its position as one of the world’s most generous aid donors for years, and the Express has previously reported on the issue, it shouldn’t have been much of a shock either.

    Strangest objection

    From The Sun

    What’s The Sun got against road safety? A recent World Health Organization report found that road traffic accidents are now the leading killer of young people, and that the risk of road deaths is three times higher in developing countries. But The Sun said it was “sickening” that “£4 billion [$5.06 billion] of Britain’s aid budget goes towards improving roads and railways abroad” (it didn’t specify over what time period). Among the funding allocations it objected to was £37 million “spent on projects in India to improve access to better quality transport and upgrading state and rural roads,” and £700 million “to provide transport, water and electricity on an island the size of Birmingham on Lake Victoria in East Africa.”

    Anyone else confused?

    Biggest exaggeration

    From the Express

    There were a lot of contenders for this crown, but the title goes once more to the Express, which told Brussels in capital letters: “EU WILL PAY: UK warns EU it WILL LOSE BILLIONS in British aid funds in no-deal Brexit.” One and a half billion, to be precise, so that should be singular, and the EU probably couldn’t have accepted it anyway. But don’t let that ruin a good headline.

    Worst come-back

    From the Express

    Nigel Farage had a “BRILLIANT response” to a suggestion from Steve, a radio phone-in guest, that the U.K. should up its aid budget, according to the Express. After the caller suggested that 0.7 percent of national income was too low, he replied — drum roll please — “but Steve, like so many things in life, just throwing money at something doesn’t really guarantee much of a result.” Burn.

    Biggest misunderstanding

    From The Daily Mail

    Everyone stop what you’re doing: The Daily Mail has “proof that foreign aid DOESN’T work.”

    At least, that’s the conclusion it drew from the evaluation of a single £11 million project in Ghana which found it had “limited impact.” But that’s the point of monitoring and evaluation, isn’t it?

    Most dubious comparison

    From the Express

    Ah, the dubious comparison — a favored technique of the headline writer which sees suffering overseas stacked up against problems at home. The artform was taken to new heights this year by the Express, which declared: “FISHERMEN BETRAYED: Anger as MILLIONS in foreign aid given to overseas trawlers.”

    It went on to explain the issue in more detail: “Aid from the U.K. has funded fishing projects all over the world, including Nigeria, Malawi, Nepal and Zimbabwe,” at the same time as a “leaked Fisheries White Paper revealed the controversial quota regime [for fishing in British waters under an EU agreement] will not be significantly reformed” after Brexit.

    A charmingly tenuous connection between two entirely unrelated issues.

    Most misreported story

    From the Independent

    To end on a more serious note, there was one aid story this year that was continuously misreported by almost all major outlets. The OECD’s introduction of a “reverse graduation” mechanism — which allows for situations where a wealthier country’s national income falls back to official development assistance-eligible levels — was widely reported as a “victory” for the U.K. government, which has been campaigning to spend ODA on its hurricane-hit overseas territories.

    In fact, the reverse graduation ruling is a separate issue that is unlikely to apply to any of the U.K.’s overseas territories, according to the minister in charge of the portfolio. The U.K. proposal has so far only been subject to a preliminary discussion, and it remains unclear if or when a decision will be reached, as Devex reported.

    Here’s to 2019 — we’ll keep working hard.

    • Media And Communications
    • United Kingdom
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Jessica Abrahams

      Jessica Abrahams@jiabrahams

      Jessica Abrahams is a former editor of Devex Pro. She helped to oversee news, features, data analysis, events, and newsletters for Devex Pro members. Before that, she served as deputy news editor and as an associate editor, with a particular focus on Europe. She has also worked as a writer, researcher, and editor for Prospect magazine, The Telegraph, and Bloomberg News, among other outlets. Based in London, Jessica holds graduate degrees in journalism from City University London and in international relations from Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    UK AidWith FCDO slashing budgets, where will UK NGOs turn for funding?

    With FCDO slashing budgets, where will UK NGOs turn for funding?

    UK Aid8 questions we still have about the future of UK aid

    8 questions we still have about the future of UK aid

    The Trump effect6 lessons for the US from the UK's aid department's traumatic demise

    6 lessons for the US from the UK's aid department's traumatic demise

    Global HealthGavi pledges fall short about $2.9B as US pulls out

    Gavi pledges fall short about $2.9B as US pulls out

    Most Read

    • 1
      How to use law to strengthen public health advocacy
    • 2
      House cuts US global education funding 20%, spares multilateral partners
    • 3
      Lasting nutrition and food security needs new funding — and new systems
    • 4
      Opinion: The pursuit of remission — from possibility to priority
    • 5
      The power of diagnostics to improve mental health
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement