Cut aid budget to save money, say most voters

MORE than half of voters think Britain's international aid budget should be "radically reduced".

Less than a third agreed with David Cameron's decision to protect aid from cuts, when all other Whitehall departments with the exception of health face swingeing reductions in their budgets. The Prime Minister has pledged to increase aid to the United Nations' target of 0.7 per cent of national income by 2013.

The findings were revealed in a survey for global affairs think-tank Chatham House, which points up a stark difference in attitudes towards the UK's international priorities among opinion-formers - in business, Whitehall, the media and charities - and the public at large.

While the general public saw international terrorism (56 per cent) and nuclear proliferation (52 per cent) as the greatest threats to UK interests, opinion-formers questioned by YouGov were more concerned by economic dangers like a banking collapse (61 per cent) and interruptions to energy supplies (54 per cent).

By a clear majority of 62 per cent to 22 per cent, voters said that the UK should "seek to remain a great power" with substantial armed forces and a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. But many opinion-formers, some 41 per cent, said Britain should accept it is no longer a great power and cut its defence budget substantially.