Indian Ocean Tsunami and The UK's response

10.00.00am GMT Sun 2nd Jan 2005

I am quite concerned as to the Government's response to the disaster in the Indian Ocean. The British Public's response has been fantastic but the Governments less so.

Blair chose to stay on holiday when he really should have flown back straight away to show the Government was taking the disaster seriously. The Government also seems to be being slow on the monetary aid they are pledging and it is being led by the public. Announcing one figure - starting at a pathetic £1million and then another and another looks like the Government are being embarrassed into increasing these figures by the public and other Governments. Surely a better way would to make the simple announcement that the UK would contribute a significant amount of the total costs and until we know the final figures stop announcing random amounts. The UK should also be leading the way on debt relief/forgiveness especially as we took over the Chair of the G8 yesterday