Make Poverty History
April 13, 2005 9:28 AM
Lib Dem spokesperson Paul Keetch with Lenny Henry and Dawn French at the Make Poverty History launch
Speaking at an all-party meeting at St Peter's Church, Leamington yesterday evening, Richard Allanach said:
"The Make Poverty History manifesto has three main components:
- Setting a binding timetable for spending 0.7% of national income on aid.
- Cancelling the unpayable debts of the world's poorest countries.
- Trade justice.
Interestingly the Make Poverty History manifesto does not bring out as key issues - environmental protection, developing international organisations, reducing the arms trade and ending military adventures - which we Liberal Democrats would all suggest ought to be regarded as key components of a comprehensive package of ending world poverty.
On the three key issues defined by the Make Poverty History campaign I should say that the Liberal Democrats' headline responses are as follows.
- First in this general election campaign, just as it has been in each of the last two general election campaigns, our published costings document will provide for Britain to raise the amount we invest in overseas aid to 0.7%. A Liberal Democrat government will achieve this goal by 2011 and in this context we believe it is reasonable to ask all the other rich countries to have achieved this goal by 2013.
- Secondly we believe in cancelling the unpayable debts of the world's poorest countries.
- Thirdly we support a number of measures around the trade justice agenda. We want to work to eliminate dumping of agricultural produce on the third world - specifically by continuing to improve the Common Agricultural Policy. We do not believe that international organisations should in the name of free trade require that the provision of water should be privatised."
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