A proposal to encourage wealthy UK donors to give more to tackle world poverty, launched in London early last month, has been endorsed and reviled in almost equal measure. Under the scheme, 50 per cent of money donated towards the UN’s Millennium Development Goals through this scheme would be deducted from an individual or corporation’s tax liability (which is only 40 and 28 per cent, respectively), with the government making up the other 50 per cent from its aid budget.