UK MPs Show Strong Backing for Make Poverty History Campaign

Make Poverty History, the anti-poverty campaign, has announced that more than half of UK members of Parliament have signed an Early Day Motion, which demands trade justice, debt cancellation and increased aid for the developing countries.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Nelson Mandela led a gathering in early February at London’s Trafalgar Square to rally support for the campaign. Overall, about 396 MP’s have been rumoured to have joined Mandela’s cause to eradicate poverty.

Joining the list of high-profile names backing the campaign is Andy Atkins of Tearfund, an international aid charity and member of the Make Poverty History Coalition.

Atkins urged all MP’s to sign up to the document and said, "This is a key moment for MPs to reflect the wealth of public support for Make Poverty History’s demands for trade justice, debt cancellation and more and better aid. We urge MPs not to let the government off the hook on poverty by adding their name to this motion."

MP’s were given the opportunity to measure the weight behind the campaign in Parliament via the Early Day Motion (EDM) – a notice of motion given by MP’s regarding issues that are not expected to be debated. The EDM was tabled by the MP for South Swindon, Julia Drown, and demanded the government to be a leading positive influence on the G8 summit, as well as the European Union, which it will chair.

Included in those signing up to the motion so far have been many Christian MP’s. Labour’s John Battle, as well as the Conservative party’s Ann Widdecombe and Caroline Spelman have all shown their support for the campaign.

Save the Children’s Matt Phillips said, "MPs from all parties are making it clear to the government that it must make poverty history this year. They 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."

Make Poverty History is an historic campaign, launched for the full length of 2005, that is supported by a coalition of more than 300 aid agencies, faith groups and Christian organisations.


The Early Day Motion that was proposed to MP’s was laid out 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.