Brown shows the ways on developing world debt

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 27th Sep 2004

Gordon Brown yesterday announced that Britain would pay off 10% of the money owed by 32 of the world's poorest countries to the World Bank and the African Development Bank. Gordon Brown has also promised that Labour will reach the 0.7% of GNP, by 2013, that the United Nations wants earmarked for international aid.

Gordon Brown said "We do this alone today but I urge other countries to follow so that over indebted countries are relieved of the burden of servicing all unpayable multilateral debt." I welcome Gordon's commitment to eradicating developing world debt and hope that we will see much more of this action later in the year when the UK chairs the G8. I of course would like to see a more ambitious timetable such as meeting the 0.7% target by 2008 as called for by the 007campaign.