Join us in the fight for economic justice and an end to global poverty.

General election

Syndicate content

Government won’t be the greenest ever by turning off its lights.

David Cameron has announced today that his government will be the 'greenest government' ever. We welcome the sentiment but we are sceptical and said that ‘history will judge this government on its green credentials by its policies to cut the UK’s emissions dramatically and getting a fair international climate deal, not by turning off its lights at night.’

Deborah Doane, director of the World Development Movement said:

"The Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition has brought some progress for achieving climate justice. Whilst it's welcome that central government has pledged to cut its emissions by 10 per cent, history will judge this government on its green credentials by its policies to cut the UK’s emissions dramatically and getting a fair international climate deal, not by turning off its lights at night. It doesn't take the scale of the problem seriously, any suggestion that blue and yellow means green government are premature because there are so many unanswered questions about the policies.


"The Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition has brought some campaign successes for climate justice. But it has also left a lot of unanswered questions, and media reports suggesting that blue and yellow = green government seem potentially premature."

The...

Will Vince Cable back our RBS and finance sector demands in government?

It's been announced today that Vince Cable will oversee business and banking in the new cabinet. This could signal good news for our clean up the banks campaign.

Working with People & Planet and PLATFORM, WDM has been calling for a stop to reckless behaviour by the banks even before the financial crisis began. Recently we have organised high profile protests targeting the use of taxpayers’ money by the Royal Bank of Scotland to finance high-impact oil and gas extraction, including tar sands that are having devastating impacts on indigenous communities in Canada and on the climate.

Deborah Doane, director of the World Development Movement said:

"We are pleased to hear that Vince Cable, who has consistently spoken out in favour of regulating the banking sector will be part of the new coalition government. Lib Dem policies have been progressive in the area of finance sector regulation, supporting the Financial Transaction Tax, a new Green Investment Bank and intervention to curb speculation through splitting up the banks. Importantly, they also committed at their Party Conference last year to end taxpayers' support for RBS' investments in tar sands extraction. Introducing these policies from the outset would be a real commitment to cleaning up the mess that...

Purple is the new black - protest Monday at 5pm.

Purple protests are springing up across the country in support of demanding a fairer electoral system - and an emergency rally has been called tonight at 5pm outside the offices where the Lib Dems are corralled in deep talks. I went to the first of these on Saturday at Trafalgar Square. There were about a thousand people – and some morris dancers – who as far as I could tell were not part of the demonstration – but made a typical rally into an eclectic or eccentric English affair. The rally itself was short but we decided to make our way from Trafalgar Square, past parliament and to Smith Square where the Lib Dems were holding talks.

It was quite amazing to see people so fired up about electoral reform, perceived as so complex and little understood that it has, until now, remained the domain of a few academics and politics geeks. Chants rang out including ‘we want to see Nick’ and ‘Fair votes now’ and ‘don’t sell out’. It was incredibly positive to see that this short notice demo had attracted people of all ages and Billy Bragg, who has campaigned for years for constitutional reform.

Nick came out to a...

Tories and Labour criticised over development policies ahead of World Poverty Day

Over the weekend, party leaders will focus on global poverty as the battle for hearts and minds heats up in the election race. But a ranking carried out by the World Development Movement reveals that none of the three main parties score well on their plans to tackle key international development issues.

The Conservatives fare particularly poorly (3 out of 10), Labour (5 out of 10) and the Liberal Democrats (6 out of a 10) receive a middling rating. The Greens (8 out of 10) come out on top on issues such as trade justice, international aid and IMF reform.

Julian Oram, the World Development Movement's head of policy commented:
"We’re sure to hear a lot of noble words around World Poverty Day from the leaders, and it’s heartening that they all rate the issue as an election theme. But when you look at how the three main parties actually plan to tackle poverty in the world today, you’ll see a considerable gap between the grand posturing of the leaders and the stunted ambition of the policies they actually hold.

"For example, anti-poverty campaigners have been shocked by the Conservative party’s admission that part of the aid budget under a Tory government could be used for British military operations in developing countries. And Labour’s promise to help...

Blog post: Give your vote and help global accountability

May Abdalla

As Gordon Brown makes his visit to Her Majesty to call a UK election, there is a parallel campaign unfolding in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Ghana.

While we have TV debates over tax, school budgets and prison reforms, people on the streets of Kabul, Dhaka and Accra will be discussing the policies of Brown, Cameron and Clegg with respect to climate change, development, trade and war. Thousands of people directly affected by UK policies will be using votes donated by UK citizens to be part of the process deciding their futures before casting a vote in the May 6 election.

I’m part of a team of volunteers working across four countries rewiring this election to give democracy a place in our global world.

Democracy means a lot more than a vote. Democracy means that we - the people - are the ultimate leaders in our political system. Politicians are accountable to us, and we are part of the decisions that affect our lives.

Nowhere is democracy more absent than at the international level. There is no democracy when deciding issues of climate change, trade or war.

Ghana is one of Africa’s most celebrated democracies and the first to achieve independence in 1953. In Ghana the rice staple is American, local water is sold through a...

Blog post: 'Vote Global' to make the world economy work for the poor

Tim Gee

It is 12 months since 35,000 people took to the streets, days before the London G20 Summit, for the Put People First march, calling for decent work, an end to global poverty and a safe climate.

The march was a result of an unprecedented civil society alliance, spanning international development NGOs, faith groups, unions and domestic charities, highlighting the negative impact of unregulated markets on a range of issues.

When the summit outcome was released the G20 communiqué did not deliver the break from ‘business as usual’ that the movement called for. In particular, governments did not seize the opportunity to signal the transition to a green economy and concrete plans for increasing the accountability of the IMF were not forthcoming.

However, other announcements clearly showed the impact of the campaign and were cautiously welcomed, including funds for poor countries, and increasing the transparency of tax havens.

Most promisingly though, the summit signalled a sharp change in rhetoric as Gordon Brown proclaimed the Washington Consensus to be ‘dead’.

Campaigning pressure began to have an impact when G20 leaders’ met again in September. There they tasked the IMF to investigate instruments for a Financial Transaction...

Parties' policies in the 2010 general election

This report is a guide to the policies of UK political parties ahead of the UK general election to be held on 6 May 2010. It seeks to give a guide to the policies of Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru in key areas relating to international justice: trade justice; more and better aid; making the economy work for poor people and repaying our climate debt.

Key election questions

Use the following questions to help you engage with your candidates on key global justice issues. These are based on WDM campaigns and you can use these questions whenever you are in contact with a candidate, whether you are writing a letter, at a meeting or at a hustings event.

Cleaning up the banks
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is 84 per cent publicly owned yet it continues to invest in projects that exacerbate poverty and damage the environment. If elected, will you ensure that RBS phases out its destructive investments and instead becomes a ‘Royal Bank of Sustainability’ to finance low carbon projects?

Climate debt
Over two thirds of the UK’s money for tackling climate change in developing countries is in the form of loans which will increase unjust financial debts. If elected, will you ensure that UK climate change money is given as grants not loans?

Financial transaction tax
A financial transaction tax would limit the worst excesses of the financial system, whilst raising money for aid and tackling climate change. If elected, will you ensure that...

Vote Global manifesto

Vote Global (pdf format) is a development manifesto that WDM and over 100 other development organisations have signed up to. It sets out the key political commitments that are necessary for the UK to play a leading role in tackling global poverty and injustice.

The manifesto covers five areas:

1. More and better aid and debt relief
2. Tackling climate change
3. Making the global economy work for the poor
4. Good governance and addressing corruption
5. Responding to conflict situations

WDM is specifically calling on parliamentary candidates in the upcoming election to take action on climate debt, cleaning up dirty investments by bailed-out banks and the financial transaction tax.

WDM's key election questions

Use the following questions to help you engage with your candidates on key global justice issues. These are based on WDM campaigns and you can use these questions whenever you are in contact with a candidate, whether you are writing a letter, at a meeting or at a hustings event.

Cleaning up the banks
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is 84 per cent publicly owned yet it continues to invest in projects that exacerbate poverty and damage the environment. If elected, will you ensure that RBS phases out its destructive investments and instead becomes a ‘Royal Bank of Sustainability’ to finance low carbon projects?

Climate debt
Over two thirds of the UK’s money for tackling climate change in developing countries is in the form of loans which will increase unjust financial debts. If elected, will you ensure that UK climate change money is given as grants not loans?

Financial transaction tax
A financial transaction tax would limit the worst excesses of the financial system, whilst raising money for aid and tackling climate change. If elected, will you ensure that...

Hustings events

‘Hustings’ is the term traditionally given to any event, such as a debate or speech during an election campaign where one or more of the candidates are present. This is an ideal forum to get candidates debating development issues and to enable the electorate to be able to compare and contrast the different positions taken by the
political parties.

Hustings events held by WDM groups will be posted here.

Please come back later for updated event information.


 

General election toolkit

The World Development Movement general election toolkit will provide you with ideas and resources to help you engage with your parliamentary candidates from writing letters to planning a hustings event.

The template letters and press releases contained in the toolkit are also downloadable for you to customise.

 

Vote for global justice

** Thank you to everyone who took action in the run up to the general election to get global justice onto the election agenda. See all the post-election news and updates.**

 

The upcoming general election is a great opportunity to raise global justice issues to potential MPs. Political parties are desperate to win votes and they need to know that their response to global poverty and injustice will be vital for getting elected.

Whoever makes up the next government, will have a key part in leading the world towards policies that deliver justice for the world’s poor.

Take action and let your parliamentary candidates know that they will lose your vote unless they commit to real action on global poverty.

Find out where the main political parties stand on key global justice issues.

Ask WDM's key election questions.

Donate to our appeal.

...

General election: Vote for global justice

Ahead of the 2010 UK general election, WDM policy officer Tim Jones gives a snapshot of where the parties stand on issues that affect the world’s poorest people.

WDM and over 100 other organisations have challenged the major political parties to back a development manifesto, Vote Global. So how do the main parties stack up on key global poverty issues?

Trade justice

For the past thirty years imposition of free trade across much of the developing world has hindered economic growth and increased poverty and inequality. In contrast, countries that have been able to resist free trade have managed to cut poverty and increase employment. Since 1997, the Labour government has supported the EU, WTO, IMF and World Bank pushing free trade on developing countries.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats also support free trade and the current unfair round of world trade negotiations. The Green Party is distinct in calling for “fair trade not free trade” and for committing to push for reform of aggressive EU trade policies. Plaid Cymru also recognise the injustices of current international trade.

More and better aid

Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP and Plaid Cymru all support spending 0.7 per cent of UK income on aid...

Signup to emails

Get the latest campaign actions, events and news direct to your inbox.

Stop the sell off - find out more

Cycle London to Paris with WDM

 

Aid campaign image - stop big business cashing in on aid