12.15pm
Geldof urges Brown to increase aid to Africa

Matthew Tempest and agencies
Wednesday September 27, 2006
Guardian Unlimited

Anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof, left, and Gordon Brown, the chancellor, appear together during a question-and-answer session at the Labour party conference on September 27 2006 in Manchester. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.
Anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof, left, and Gordon Brown, the chancellor, appear together during a question-and-answer session at the Labour party conference today. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images.

Bob Geldof put the chancellor, Gordon Brown, on the spot at the Labour party conference today, calling on the government to use next summer's crucial comprehensive spending review to increase aid to Africa.

The outspoken Live 8 organiser also called on Mr Brown to pull forward the date of 2013 to reach the Gleneagles goal of 0.7% of GDP being spent on aid to 2010 - something he admitted the likely next Labour leader would be unable to do.

The two men were appearing together on a the same platform - alongside the international development secretary, Hilary Benn - to update delegates on last year's Make Poverty History campaign.

Mr Geldof used the opportunity to "nail Gordon", in his words, to twin demands.

"To get back really on to track the CSR need to commit about £400m of extra new money. The other reality is we may have to, and I know this is something you can't contemplate at the moment, but we may have to pull the 0.7% figure forward to 2010 from 2013. We may have to do that."

Sir Bob suggested that timetable had shifted because the parlous state of the Italian economy had left an international shortfall.

Mr Brown's CSR - if he is still chancellor next summer - will set the government's spending limits for the years 2008-11, almost certainly setting the financial agenda for the next general election.

The Conservatives have followed Labour in committing to spend 0.7% of GDP by 2013, agreed as part of the UN millennium goals, but Mr Brown made no commitment to the conference to bring the date forward, or pledge the extra £400m demanded.

Instead he joked that the former Boomtown Rats singer was "both my mentor ... and my tormentor."

"We've sent him on missionary work...to the Conservative party," he added.

Mr Geldof also praised the government's efforts and told delegates not to lose faith with the Make Poverty History campaign.

"This stuff really does work. You must stay with this. It will become tiresome and boring but it is one of the less remarked upon jewels in this government's crown that they set the international agenda and they set the national political agenda and they saved an awful lot of people from going down the tube.

Sir Bob chaired the Committee for Africa, jointly commissioned last year by Tony Blair and Mr Brown.

The campaigner is also advising the Conservative leader, David Cameron, on development issues.

Mr Brown called on everyone in the UK to back a campaign to provide schools for every child in the world.

With the bi-centenary of the abolition of the slave trade being marked next year, Mr Brown said it was time to "abolish what is a slavery for children that they do not have the right to education".

"There's 100 million children we know not going to school today. In many countries we know the victims of this failure to educate are predominately girls.

"I believe that over the next few months and in the G8 next year we can build up such a head of steam that everybody around this country will be saying every child has a right to be educated.

"We are going to commemorate the abolition of slavery - which was abolished in 1807 - in 2007.

What better way than to abolish what is a slavery for children that they do not have the right to education.

Sir Bob also launched an excoriating attack on China and other major powers, accusing them of perpetuating death and destruction in Darfur.

He said Beijing was still arming the Sudanese government, which is refusing to allow UN peacekeepers to enter the country while it carries out military operations against rebels.

Mr Geldof insisted the world was now "slow stepping into watching 2 million people die in front of us on the Six O' Clock news every night" - and politicians had to act.

So far, around 200,000 people are believed to have died in Darfur and violence has continued despite the signing of a peace treaty earlier this year - supposedly enforced by African Union troops.

Sir Bob told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The reality is that in another age perhaps America and Britain could have intervened but they can't now, possibly because of the Middle East.

"The Khartoum government are thugs and tyrants. They are supported by the Chinese, who take 6% of their oil out of Sudan - which is 60% of Sudanese oil production - and therefore will not allow (measures to get through) the security council.

"Meanwhile they build an arms factory outside of Khartoum and arm the Sudanese army."

Mr Geldof said a "bold political step" was needed to resolve the tragedy.

"I think we really have a right to insist upon an intervention through the United Nations," he added.

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