Expedient benevolence : international development and the United Kingdom

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of International Development in the United Kingdom during its transition from a colonial ruler to a neo-liberal capitalist state. Starting with the inter-war period, it looks at the changing position adopted by the British state vis-a-vis development aid to its colonies up to the formation of the Department for International Development in the late 1990s. The study argues that during this period, the nature of state-sponsored international development aid has transformed significantly to a point of self-redundancy. At the same time, the British state's insistence to continue its colonial bilateral ties has made it an insignificant and obsolete player in the game. Faced with the choice to embrace this obsolescence brought about by the market, the British State could transform its foreign aid policies and explore new ways bring change in developing nations. However, trapped between the disciplinary limitations imposed by "Planning" and its own recurring economic crises, the British state has been unable to seize this opportunity, leading to an anachronistic foreign development policy.