British taxpayers are spending billions on foreign projects including shrimp farms in Bangladesh, electric Porsches for Albanian prisons, and gender lectures in Kenya, according to figures published by The Sun. The revelations come amid mounting pressure to raise defence spending as Russia advances in Ukraine, while the UK continues to allocate around £15 billion annually to overseas aid.
Over the past three years, the UK has provided more than £133,000 to Bangladesh Agricultural University for shrimp health research, with the most recent payment made in September 2024. Other expenditures include £233,000 in January 2024 to study mental healthcare barriers for civilians affected by armed conflict in Colombia, and £9.5 million paid last December to a contractor for 'accountability and inclusion' in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Additional spending includes up to £500,000 for 15 electric vans for Albanian prisons, sourced through a local Porsche dealer, and the same amount to support a 'gender mainstreaming strategy' in the Jordanian army. The UK has also allocated £114 million for 'inclusive green enterprises' in India, £25 million for 'Green Urban Growth' in Somalia, and £38 million for 'Green Growth' in Nepal.
Other projects include £5 million for 'transforming feminist funding in Iraq', £264,000 to study disinformation in Ethiopia, and £44,000 for research on Thailand's alcohol policy. The British Council, which receives £162.5 million from the Foreign Office this year, has been criticised for funding a 'performance poet' who works in Colombian prisons and Bangkok malls.
Former government adviser Jason Brown called the spending 'reckless', saying: 'With taxes at eye-watering levels and hard-working families struggling to make ends meet, Brits up and down the country will be astonished that their hard-earned money is being spent on sending electric cars to prisons in Albania.' Conservative Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride added: 'Given the Chancellor's disastrous Budget, it's clear that we must urgently rein in these pointless and eye-watering spending projects to stop further tax rises on hard-working families.'
A government spokesman defended the spending, stating that the upcoming Spending Review will ensure taxpayer money is focused on the 'Government's Plan for Change', including secure borders and national security. They added that 'global challenges like conflict, the climate crisis and poverty directly affect British lives, and contribute to irregular migration'. The criticism follows a US crackdown on foreign aid under Donald Trump, sparking demands for a similar programme in the UK.
