$50bn aid deal will ‘lift shadow of terrorism’

Jim Caldwell

He contrasted the deal struck by leaders gathered at Gleneagles with the aims of those behind the London bombings. After uniting to condemn the attacks yesterday, the heads of the eight richest nations had come together to help Africa, Mr Blair said.

He conceded the package did not meet the demands of all anti-poverty campaigners. But he insisted: “We have made very substantial progress indeed. We do not, simply by this communiqué, make poverty history. But we do show it can be done and we do signify the political will to do it.”

Mr Blair insisted the G8 summit had achieved “very substantial progress” towards freeing Africa from the scourge of poverty.

At the closing press conference of the three-day gathering held at Gleneagles, Mr Blair argued the deal struck by the leaders of the world’s major industrialised nations set out a path towards the eradication of poverty on the continent.

Mr Blair thanked the other leaders for the support they had shown to Britain following the terror attack on London.

He said they showed “commitment to the British people at what has obviously been a difficult time”.

Campaigner Bob Geldof said measures agreed at the summit would save 10 million lives.

“Today is a great day for those 10 million people,” Geldof told a press conference at Gleneagles.

He added: “Was this a success? On aid, 10 out of 10, on debt eight out of 10. Time will tell, time only will tell if this has been historic or not.”

African development and climate change were the twin key issues placed on the agenda of the summit in Scotland by Mr Blair.

Environmentalists savaged the conclusions on global warming which they say leaves the G8 “treading water” in the face of US intransigence.

And agencies expressed varying degrees of disappointment over the development package, particularly the lack of moves to end subsidies in Western countries.

Mr Blair insisted the agreements struck set a course to end global poverty and eventually bring the US on board to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.