In 2005 the response from the people of Worcester to Live 8 and the Make Poverty History campaign showed how we all wanted action to improve the lives of millions of the poorest people in the world.
That’s why in 2005 the Labour government focused the leaders of the developed world on the fate of the poorest people in the world at the Gleneagles summit.
That campaign made a real difference. World leaders from the G8 countries pledged to increase aid, especially to Africa, and to cancel debt to many countries.
It was a moment when people in Worcester and the rest of Britain spoke with one voice to show we would lead the fight against extreme poverty and injustice in our world.
And politicians really listened.
It is time we took a good hard look at what we achieved together.
This week, the leaders of the G8 countries – the same ones that promised to cancel debt and increase aid to Africa – are meeting in Germany to decide what to do next. I am pleased to say that the UK has kept its promises.
We are on track to increase the amount we spend on aid to 0.7 per cent of national income by 2013, we have cancelled every single penny owed to us by the world’s poorest, most indebted countries; the debt deal agreed at Gleneagles has cancelled all the debts owed to the IMF, World Bank and African Development Bank of 22 of the world’s poorest countries; and we have worked hard to end conflict around the world, especially in Darfur.
We are also pushing hard to make sure other countries keep their promises too. But there’s still a lot to do. I am proud of what we have achieved.
But this should be just the start of a much bigger change. Labour will have a new leader and Britain a new Prime Minister in less than a months’ time.
I would like to hear your ideas about what we should focus on next.
Because if we learned one thing from Make Poverty History, it is that when politicians really listen to what people want and take action, we can change things together.