I don’t know about you but I generally avoid putting money in charity boxes. However if there is a RNLI box handy and I have change to spare, I will occasionally relent and donate to them. They are brave men and women who do a great job.

Demand for the RNLI’s services is presently at record levels, with its lifeboats launched 8,964 times in the UK and Ireland during 2018.

But – and this will make me hesitate before donating to them again – the charity intends to increase its annual spending on ‘foreign projects’ by £400,000 this year. Its overseas spending has now soared from £1.13 million to £3.3 million over the past five years.

Tory MP Nigel Evans, who sits on the Commons International Development Committee, said: ‘The fact the RNLI are cutting staff in the UK but boosting spending on these international projects begs the question of what the priority of the organisation is? They are risking the reputation of the charity.

‘I would say 99 per cent of the British public giving money to them have not the faintest idea it’s being diverted to projects overseas.’ 

He is right damni! I did not intend my money to go to anything but the crews and lifeboats operating here. It is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and there is no International in the title.

In fact, the RNLI has been accused of becoming obsessed with political correctness in recent years, leading to resignations among volunteers. The entire crew at St Helier, Jersey, resigned after the coxswain was sacked following a dispute over a launch. The coxswain at Arbroath was sacked after failing to prevent a prank in which a crewman bared his buttocks.

And two crewmen from Whitby, North Yorkshire, were dismissed last summer after tea mugs were found decorated with ‘inappropriate material of a sexual nature.’

For heaven’s sake! These are men doing a difficult and dangerous job. This sort of humour, puerile though it may seem is merely letting off steam.

The charity also came under fire after advertising for a £42,000-a-year ‘safeguarding officer’ to promote ‘health, safety and wellbeing.’ In other words, a well-paid – with our donations – pen pusher.

The RNLI has talked about trying to ‘influence policy-makers and partners’ and lobbying the United Nations to reduce deaths at sea. It has a ‘national team of health, safety and environment advisers’, and a ‘diversity leadership group’ tasked with promoting the ‘International Day Against Homophobia.’ What on earth has any of that mumbo jumbo got to do with rescuing people in trouble off the British coastline?

The charity said two per cent of its income went on overseas projects and this did not have any impact on its domestic rescue services. How can that possibly be so? Its Panje Project in Tanzania sends trainers to teach swimming in areas where drowning rates are high. 

Its work includes giving out burkinis, that I gather are swimming costumes with a head covering, long-sleeved tunic and trousers to protect the modesty of Muslim women. How can teaching Tanzanian Muslim women how to swim benefit people who get into difficulties around the shores of Britain?

They also provide free creche facilities in Bangladesh, which apparently stops children playing by rivers and reduces a child’s risk of drowning by eighty two per cent. 

Rubbish! All children love rivers, whatever nationality they are.

In 2016, these politically correct windbags announced that the RNLI was providing training to Greek, German, Dutch and Swedish organisations to help save migrants crossing from Turkey to Greece.

A spokesman told the Media, ‘Providing the very best service in the UK and Ireland remains our priority but we also wish to use our expertise, knowledge and influence to help others save lives across the world, particularly where drowning rates are high.’ 

Sir, charity begins at home. I don’t really care about children in Bangladesh, refugees crossing from Turkey to Greece or the Muslim ladies of Tanzania.

No I won’t merely hesitate before donating again. I will walk straight past the RNLI tin and find something that caters for projects closer to home – perhaps. It is more likely that my cash will remain in my pocket.

Footage has recently emerged of the LibDem, Swinson harpy arguing for a referendum on EU membership way back in 2008. Has this pathetic little woman got even a modicum of shame? Then she was strident in favouring an in/out poll and criticising the EU for being inefficient, old-fashioned and cumbersome. Now she is adamant that if her party wins any general election, Brexit will be revoked the very next day.

Her deputy, the hapless Ed Davey was on Question Time last night and every time he mentioned ‘democracy,’ the audience burst into gales of laughter!

Oh for that cheerful little gingernut, Charles Kennedy. He might have been a boozist, but at least he wasn’t a raving hypocrite like the current lot.

What with cases being heard in the Supreme Court, former prime ministers causing trouble left, right and centre and Brexit negotiations going on, the turmoil in Britain continues. However, the Rugby World Cup started today so for a while, I will pay less attention to politics and more to the game of rugby.

Well done Japan for starting so well, although one of their tries was scored by a man called Labuschagne and he pronounced it the correct way too – not like the Australian cricketer who we were watching last week.

But with three cracking games on tomorrow, including the big one between the Boks and the All Blacks, I shall be glued to the idiot box and the politicians can carry on with their posturing and silly games.