Poverty Warning for Blair

from The Mirror

By Oonagh Blackman Political Editor

TONY Blair yesterday jetted away from his political headaches in Britain to tackle global problems in a Swiss ski resort.

The Prime Minister and other world leaders met in Davos to tackle poverty, trade and climate change.

But the summit was told the ground-breaking Make Poverty History goals to help Africa were in danger of failing.

Oxfam said development aid to the continent has been falling since the grand commitments of leaders at the 2005 G8 meeting at Gleneagles.

Charity director Barbara Stocking claimed Iraq and Afghanistan are draining resources from the fight against poverty.

She said: "In assessing progress towards helping Africa, world leaders cannot ignore the reality that development aid to Africa is actually falling.

"Pledges made by donors at the G8 meeting in 2005 will not be met."

Mr Blair will today particularly urge the US to help poor countries by lifting punishing tariffs.