Julia Drown MP calls for more effort in 'race against third world debt'

Swindon South MP joins Steve Cram in running race with a difference

Julia Drown, MP for South Swindon, joined six time gold medallist, Steve Cram and debt campaigners on 13 May in organising a 'race against third world debt' outside the Houses of Parliament. As Chair of the All Party Group on Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, she called on world leaders to renew their commitment to cancel the debts of the poorest countries when they meet at the G8 Summit in Evian, France on 1 June.

Julia joined MPs from all the major parties to draw attention to the continuing crisis of third world debt by organising and taking part in a race to reach the UN Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. The MPs carried large sacks of 'unbearable debts' that burden many of the world's poorest countries.

Julia represented Mali, where 32% of the population is undernourished and life expectancy is 47.

The MPs, who wore the names of poor countries affected by the debt crisis, also had to negotiate the 'economic hurdles' that blocked their path. When they could go no further Steve Cram cut the MPs free of their debt, allowing them to finish the race.

Julia today said: "It is clear that we will not meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015 without great, faster and wider debt relief. Some debt has been cancelled but nowhere near enough. Money spent repaying this debt is money not spent on providing desperately needed schools, hospitals and clean water for their citizens."

"This is an issue of great concern to MPs and the public alike. Today MPs are sending a clear message to world leaders, including our own government, that we expect them to finish the job that they started and finally drop the debt. The poor cannot eat an IOU."

Steve Cram, a former BBC Sports Personality of the Year, started the race and commentated as the MPs struggled down the thirty-metre track opposite Parliament, cheered on by their colleagues. "The Olympic ideal is of men and women competing together as equals. Over the years I have had the honour of running against athletes from some of the poorest countries on earth. Yet our countries can never be equals while they struggle under the burden of massive debts that they can never hope to repay. This is one of the main reasons why African countries in particular are falling ever further behind in the fight against global poverty. It is time to cancel their debts and give the world's poor a fresh start," he said today.

Barry Coates, Jubilee Debt Campaign board member and Director of the World Development Movement today said: "We cheered when, as a result of a global public outcry, world leaders committed themselves to solving the debt crisis. Yet five years on only a fraction of the debt has been cancelled. To allow it to continue will not only be a betrayal of the Jubilee 2000 spirit but will condemn yet another generation to misery and poverty. We are pleased to see so many MPs recommit themselves to the debt relief cause."

Mulima Akapelwa, a debt campaigner from Zambia was among those cheering on the MPs. She said: "Five years ago, I came to protest outside the G8 in Birmingham to call for debt cancellation. In Zambia, we have had enough debt relief to repaint our hospitals and schools, but not enough to pay for doctors and teachers. I'm here to celebrate what we have achieved and to remind people that a lot more still needs to be done."

The event was organised by the All Party Group on Heavily Indebted Poor Countries of which Julia Drown is Chair, with the Jubilee Debt Campaign and the World Development Movement. Countries represented by MPs included Chad, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

www.epolitix.com/westminster/julia-drown.htm