The British Government has given £106 million to build houses and schools in Pakistan this year — but only had £12 million for “deprived white working class areas” in Britain.

According to a Department for International Development (DFID) press release issued yesterday, the £106 million given to Pakistan so far this year includes £35 million to “build 750 new schools in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and North West Frontier Province (NWFP).”

“This brings its spending on reconstruction and rehabilitation to £84 million, which has helped to rebuild hundreds of thousands of homes, offices and infrastructure,” the press release continued.

The DFID went on to boast that in May 2009, the “DFID provided £22 million for urgent humanitarian assistance, including food, water and emergency shelter to those most in need” and in October, it announced a “further £10m to help with the early stages of recovery needs for these communities.”

Meanwhile, the Government made much fanfare of the £12 million given last month to 100 “deprived white working class areas” in Britain. (If the £12 million is divided between 100 areas, each will get £120,000 — not even enough to buy a single new house.)

Yet, it seems, the same government which is now pretending to be so concerned about British people, sees fit to dish out ten times the £12 million figure to Pakistan in housing aid this year alone.

According to the DFID, the latest £35 million British tax money gift will be used to “provide a safe learning environment for 90,000 children” in Pakistan.

As if that was not enough, the DFID announced on 30 October that total UK foreign aid to Pakistan for the years 2009 to 2013 will swell to £665 million.

This means, the DFID announced proudly, that “by 2011, Pakistan will be the UK’s second largest development programme worldwide.”

Any reader thinking that the Conservatives would be any better would do well to read the recent Tory policy paper on foreign aid.

In that policy document, signed and introduced by David Cameron, the Tories promise to double foreign aid if they are elected to Government.

* The British people have, at least, been told upfront by both Tories and Labour of how little they are worth in those parties’ eyes.

Remember: Tory/Labour/Lib-Dem = Third Worlders first, British people last.