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18 July 2011
Last updated at 22:46 ET
Prime Minister David Cameron is to make his strongest defence yet of Britain's foreign aid programme.
Speaking in Nigeria, he will confront critics who oppose increasing aid while budgets are being cut at home.
Meanwhile, a survey of public opinion in the UK suggests that many people think the country's foreign policy has changed for the worse in the last year.
It suggests the top priority ought to be protecting the country's borders and countering terrorism.
Mr Cameron has cut short his trip to Africa so he can prepare for his statement to parliament on Wednesday on the phone-hacking crisis.
But during the remaining hours of his visit he will try to recalibrate Britain's foreign policy towards Africa.
He will urge Africans to copy the Arab Spring revolutions of the north and demand a greater say in how their countries are run.
The prime minister will also warn that Britain is at risk of missing out on one of the greatest economic opportunities on the planet by not trading more with the continent.
Vaccines And above all, he will defend Britain's aid programme - particularly when thousands are starving to death in the Horn of Africa.
He will promise greater transparency and accountability in how aid is spent, more direct transfers that cut out corrupt middle-men and more spending on measurable things such as vaccines.
His aim is to answer his domestic critics who see their taxes spent abroad while budgets are cut at home.
Meanwhile, the survey conducted by one of Britain's leading think tanks, Chatham House, and the polling company YouGov, also found that many people believed Britain spent too little equipping its armed forces and too much on contributions to the EU and on overseas aid to developing countries.
The poll questioned two groups - members of the general public and opinion formers.
Of the members of the public surveyed, 65% thought Britain's foreign policy had changed for the worse over the past year.
Nearly 60% thought much overseas aid was wasted and did not promote Britain's interests. And only 20% thought the UK had a moral right to support pro-democracy uprisings in places such as Egypt and Libya.
Nearly half of those questioned thought the UK should not be involved at all.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said the government rejected any notion that Britain's role in the world was shrinking.
He said the repositioning of Britain's foreign policy was to secure its prosperity and security in the long term.
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Speaking in Nigeria, he will confront critics who oppose increasing aid while budgets are being cut at home.
Meanwhile, a survey of public opinion in the UK suggests that many people think the country's foreign policy has changed for the worse in the last year.
It suggests the top priority ought to be protecting the country's borders and countering terrorism.
Mr Cameron has cut short his trip to Africa so he can prepare for his statement to parliament on Wednesday on the phone-hacking crisis.
But during the remaining hours of his visit he will try to recalibrate Britain's foreign policy towards Africa.
He will urge Africans to copy the Arab Spring revolutions of the north and demand a greater say in how their countries are run.
The prime minister will also warn that Britain is at risk of missing out on one of the greatest economic opportunities on the planet by not trading more with the continent.
Vaccines And above all, he will defend Britain's aid programme - particularly when thousands are starving to death in the Horn of Africa.
He will promise greater transparency and accountability in how aid is spent, more direct transfers that cut out corrupt middle-men and more spending on measurable things such as vaccines.
His aim is to answer his domestic critics who see their taxes spent abroad while budgets are cut at home.
Meanwhile, the survey conducted by one of Britain's leading think tanks, Chatham House, and the polling company YouGov, also found that many people believed Britain spent too little equipping its armed forces and too much on contributions to the EU and on overseas aid to developing countries.
The poll questioned two groups - members of the general public and opinion formers.
Of the members of the public surveyed, 65% thought Britain's foreign policy had changed for the worse over the past year.
Nearly 60% thought much overseas aid was wasted and did not promote Britain's interests. And only 20% thought the UK had a moral right to support pro-democracy uprisings in places such as Egypt and Libya.
Nearly half of those questioned thought the UK should not be involved at all.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said the government rejected any notion that Britain's role in the world was shrinking.
He said the repositioning of Britain's foreign policy was to secure its prosperity and security in the long term.
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