Month: July 2012
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Kevin Watkins is right – if the state education system is broken, fix the state, don’t go private
On today’s From Poverty to Power blog, senior visiting research fellow at the Brookings Institution Kevin Watkins makes the case in favour of public education. The post is in response to Justin Sandefur’s advocacy of private provision. The article is a strong summary of the evidence and arguments in favour of a progressive to education. This…
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Douglas Alexander MP: Demand a Strong and Effective Arms Trade Treaty
Today, as negotiations are underway in New York around agreeing a global Arms Trade Treaty, we need the UK Government to show strong leadership. After delays and disagreements we need to send them a signal to make sure talks get back on track. Read the letter by Douglas Alexander, Labour Shadow Foreign Secretary, to William…
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Post-Rio and the challenges facing international development and Labour
By Alex Farrow (@alexjamesfarrow and @youthpolicy) As policy makers, activists and governments move on from the failed negotiations at Rio+20, Labour must now find a way to ensure sustainability remains at the heart of the international community’s development agenda. At Rio+20 negotiators agreed the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals that…
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Glenys Kinnock: UK must condemn Rwanda’s support for Congo rebellion
LCID Honorary Co-President Baroness Glenys Kinnock today criticised the UK government for not condemning the Rwandan government strongly enough for their support for the rebellion in eastern Congo. Writing on The Guardian’s Poverty Matters blog, Glenys said: The UK, which this year alone has committed £75m of taxpayers’ money to Rwanda, has shied away from public…
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There must be cross-party commitment to passing the 0.7% international aid bill
First published on Left Foot Forward Today presents a rare opportunity to ensure a commitment made in the election manifestos of all three parties and the coalition agreement is honoured – the pledge to enshrine the UK’s spending of 0.7% of gross national income into law. Labour and Co-operative MP Mark Hendrick has tabled a Private Member’s Bill on…
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Glenys Kinnock on the Family Planning Summit: “Political and legal rights of women must be integrated fully into the process.”
by Baroness Glenys Kinnock, LCID Honorary Co-President Whilst warmly welcoming the Family Planning Summit taking place in London this week, hosted by DFID and the Gates Foundation, it is important to emphasise that the central focus on the increase of contraceptive supplies must be juxtaposed with a clear understanding that social and economic development, improved education, and the…
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The government’s Family Planning Summit must aim higher says Rushanara Ali MP
First published by Left Foot Forward by Rushanara Ali MP (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow),a shadow minister for International Development This year, the Gates Foundation and Melinda Gates in particular, are focusing their considerable political and financial weight on tackling access to family planning for women in the developing world – an area that hasn’t had the…
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Pearson low cost private schools won’t reach those most in need
by Ali Louis The UK education company Pearson has launched an initiative to start low cost private school in Africa and Asia. On the surface it is brilliant that the private sector is getting involved with development. However it is worrying that the input may only help to increase inequality and reduce social mobility Sixty eight million children…
Labour Campaign for International Development 