PM reaffirms commitment to ending poverty

PM reaffirms commitment to ending poverty

Tony Blair has said that he 'will not waste the opportunity' of the UK's G8 presidency to put an end to the problems of Africa.

In an open letter to the Make Poverty History (MPH) campaign, he said that a chance existed this year to give fresh impetus to tackling extreme poverty.

The solution was to increase aid, provide more debt relief, encourage fairer trade and reduce conflicts.

He added that he knew how important the issue was to British people and was determined to push through this 'very ambitious agenda.'

The MPH campaign is a coalition of more than 200 charities, trade unions and faith groups working together to make a 'global change' during 2005.

Former South African leader Nelson Mandela addressed an MPH rally at Trafalgar Square yesterday.

Speaking before meeting with G7 leaders in London, he said that poverty was 'like slavery and apartheid' - not natural, but man-made.

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