Airstrip One

Being nice to Oxfam

I must say something nice. It's hard. Oxfam's campaign to bring in "fair trade" has been going for some time and is a work of genius. By lambasting protectionist governments rather than governments who spend "too little" on aid it is actually talking about developing the Third World rather than sending aid after every natural disaster.

For a taste of this approach see, The Great Sugar Scam.

That being said, Britain has no business opening up its markets just because it will help Third World countries. The argument for free trade must come from British interests.