The World Can't Wait

Paul Holmes, Liberal Democrat MP for Chesterfield has signed a Parliamentary Motion calling on Tony Blair and the other G8 leaders to take urgent action to end global poverty and avert potentially catastrophic climate change.

The G8 Summit, which starts on 6th June in Germany, is key to ensuring that not only do the rich countries deliver on the commitments they made at the Gleneagles Summit in 2005, but they also make further, far-reaching promises. Urgent action is needed on debt cancellation, on more and better aid, on trade justice, on health care, education, water and sanitation for all, and to prevent catastrophic climate change.

In the UK, over ninety campaigning organisations have joined forces to arrange a mass anti-poverty rally in Westminster on Saturday 2nd June, to show the G8 leaders that the world is watching and the world can't wait.

Paul Holmes MP said: "It is imperative that the G8 member states live up to their commitments to eradicate poverty and tackle climate change, so I will be urging the UK government to take stronger action and use its influence in Europe and the G8. I will also be encouraging my constituents and their friends and families to sign up to the campaign and to travel to London on 2nd June to ensure that their voices are heard in the fight against poverty".

Matt Phillips, Head of Campaigns at Save the Children said: "2005 saw a huge public mandate for dramatic action to make poverty history. But we need more urgency because children are missing out on healthcare and education now. Rich countries must act, the world can't wait."

CAFOD partner Mulima Kufekisa Akapelwa, an anti-poverty campaigner from Zambia, said: "When aid is given effectively, it saves lives. I've seen that with my own eyes in Zambia.

"The G8 leaders have the power to end poverty and hunger in our lifetime. Tell them the world can't wait."

The full text of the Early Day Motion signed by Paul Holmes MP reads:

That this House welcomes the Government's leadership at the G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005; notes with concern that at the halfway point of the Millennium Development Goals the world is off-track to meet the key targets on eradicating poverty by 2015; notes the continued public mandate for urgent political action to end poverty and climate chaos; calls on the Government to use its influence in Europe and within the G8 to ensure debt cancellation and more and better aid, trade justice, healthcare, education, water and sanitation for all, and firm plans to prevent catastrophic climate change and address its impact; and calls on the Government, Europe and the G8 to acknowledge that the world can't wait to make poverty history.

In 2005 world leaders were given a huge public and political mandate to make poverty history and a series of historic promises were made that, if fulfilled, would help many millions escape extreme poverty. Two years on, it is clear that more urgent action is needed to tackle global poverty, as 1.2 billion people still struggle to survive on less than $1 a day. The promises that have been kept have changed millions of lives. But most are at serious risk of being broken, which is a disgrace.