Category: Uncategorized
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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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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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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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Glenys Kinnock: Aung San Suu Kyi needs our active solidarity
by Baroness Glenys Kinnock, LCID Honorary Co-President Aung San Suu Kyi has courageously and selflessly served the cause of democracy and human rights in Burma. And, for this, she has rightly been held up as an international symbol of peaceful resistance against one of the most oppressive and secretive regimes in the World. She is extraordinarily tenacious…
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A Change of Approach – Where Labour can thrive and improve support for aid
by Ali Louis This week the IPPR and ODI will published their anticipated report Understanding Public Attitudes to Aid and Development. Whilst there have been opinions polls on aid, this report attempts to gauge why public perceptions have been formed. Positive public attitudes to aid are crucial if we are to maintain our commitment to…
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Sheila Gilmore MP: Osborne’s corporate tax concessions could cost developing countries billions
by Sheila Gilmore, Labour MP for Edinburgh East Since April I’ve been sitting on the committee of MPs scrutinising the Finance Bill – the annual legislation that puts into effect announcements in the budget. The bill covers big issues such as the scrapping of the 50p tax and introduction of the granny tax. One of…
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Alan Duncan issues memo at DFID banning jargon words such as ‘showing leadership’
A Tory minister has issued a stern memorandum to his staff banning them from using jargon words such as “showing leadership”, “abolishing user fees” and “reducing poverty.” Describing himself as a “grammar fascist ideologue”, Alan Duncan MP has issued a memo accusing staff at the Department for International Development of damaging Britain’s worldwide reputation by pushing…
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Rio+20: Viewpoints from the Labour movement
Our friends SERA, the Labour’s Environment Campaign, have this week launched a new pamphlet, Rio+20: Our second chance for a sustainable future?, as their contribution to the debate at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development taking place in Brazil. The pamphlet includes contributions from Mary Creagh (Shadow Environment Secretary), Caroline Flint (Shadow Energy Secretary), Ivan Lewis (Shadow International…
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Mark Hendrick MP: The people snared in poverty’s grip can’t afford inaction
Labour & Co-operative MP Mark Hendrick explains why he has put forward a private members’ bill to enshrine 0.7% of GNI to international aid in law, a key aim of the international development and co-operative movements. The world is in a state of constant change; reshaping economies, new governments forming but the one constant, the…
Labour Campaign for International Development 