Over half UK MPs back Make Poverty History campaign
-08/03/05
The Make Poverty History coalition, which includes many Christian organisations and agencies, has announced that more than half of the UKís MPs have signed a parliamentary motion demanding trade justice, debt cancellation and better aid for the Third World.
Some 396 MPs have joined Nelson Mandela who addressed an estimated 22,000 people in Trafalgar square recently and dozens of celebrities by backing the campaign and signing the Motion.
Many MPs well known for their Christian faith have signed the motion including Lib Dems Steve Webb and Simon Hughes, Tories Ann Widdecombe and Caroline Spelman, and Labour’s John Battle and Frank Field. Notable by its absence however is the name of the well known Christian and former Tory international development spokesman Gary Streeter MP
Andy Atkins from Christian charity and aid agency Tearfund, a member of the Make Poverty History Coalition, urged all MPs to sign the historic document.
He said: ìThis is a key moment for MPs to reflect the wealth of public support for Make Poverty Historyís demands for trade justice, debt cancellation and more and better aid.
ìWe urge MPs not to let the government off the hook on poverty by adding their name to this motion.î
The Early Day Motion was tabled by Julia Drown, MP for South Swindon. It demands the government use its influence as it chairs the G8 Gleneagles summit and the EU to make poverty history.
Matt Phillips, of Save the Children, also a member of the coalition, said: ìMPs from all parties are making it clear to the government that it must make poverty history this year.
ìThey are demanding action, not more rhetoric. This must result in policy changes on things the UK can do to reduce extreme poverty, action to stop forced liberalisation and real pressure from Tony Blair on other world leaders to deliver.î
An Early Day Motion (EDM) is the term used to describe notices of motions given by MPs that are not expected to be debated. The tabling of an EDM is a device to draw attention to an issue and to encourage support for it.
The Make Poverty History campaign is supported by a coalition of more than 300 aid agencies, faith groups, unions and other organisations including the theological thinktank Ekklesia.
The campaign was launched on January 1 this year and will run until the end of 2005.
The full text of the motion is as follows:
“That this House welcomes the United Kingdom Government’s commitment to the Millennium Development Goals; notes with concern that the current debt crisis, trade injustice and shortcomings of aid further exacerbate poverty, inequality, the HIV/AIDS crisis and environmental degradation across the developing world; notes that if the international community is to make poverty history then there needs to be further co-ordinated political action by the world’s governments, including the United Kingdom, aimed at trade justice, dropping the debt and providing more and better aid; and calls on the United Kingdom Government to lead the way for change and use its influence when it holds the presidency of the G8 and chairs the EU to make poverty history in 2005.”