Iain is urging people across Hartlepool to join celebrities like Davina McCall, Mariella Frostrup, Richard Wilson and Meera Syal by signing up to support a new campaign against global poverty – on the fifth anniversary of Nelson Mandela's Make Poverty History speech in Trafalgar Square.

In a campaign video released today, the celebrities invite people to show their support for a new law that would commit the UK to spend 0.7% of national income on development assistance, by signing up at www.GlobalPovertyPromise.com - where you can also see the video.

The celebrities highlight how small 0.7% is - yet how much of a difference it will make to lives in the developing world. The www.globalpovertypromise.com website is part of a campaign to put Britain’s promise to raise international development aid to 0.7% of national income by 2013 into law.


Iain said:

“People across Hartlepool are proud of what we’ve achieved and the help we’ve given to people living lives of poverty in developing countries. We’ve campaigned to Make Poverty History and kept our promises through this global recession.

“I am urging people to go online today and join me and celebrities like Davina McCall by signing up at globalpovertypromise.com

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, said:

“Iain has been a passionate campaigner on global poverty and a long standing advocate of action to help people in the developing world.

“Aid increases and debt cancellation have helped to get 40 million more children into school, while the number of people with access to AIDS treatment has increased from just 100,000 to over 4 million. The proportion of the world’s population living in poverty has fallen from a third to a quarter thanks to a combination of both aid and trade."