I have recently been catching up with the BBC "Live Aid at 40; The Concert"
🗯️ I got involved in politics as a teenager to tackle issues of international poverty. Perhaps inspired by Live Aid and the pictures of Ethiopia in 1984 I decided to use politics as the way to solve these problems. Years later it was Bob Geldoff who reminded me it was politics that was killing these children and the political choices we make. I immediately became Secretary of the Jubilee 2000 APPG and later this became the Debt Aid and Trade group. Within months of becoming an MP I found myself in No11 with world leaders discussing debt relief!
🏛️ Looking back, the Jubilee 2000 and Make Poverty History campaigns were extraordinary moments of global mobilisation and civic pride. Millions rallied, marched, wrote to their MPs and built a truly collaborative movement—compelling world leaders and Parliament to deliver real change.
💲 Together, we witnessed billions in debt cancelled for the world’s poorest countries and new aid commitments secured at global summits. The iconic white bands, mass petitions and unified voices showed how genuine public pressure and partnership with Parliament could rewrite the rules for what’s possible.
🤼 It’s easy to forget just how powerful these campaigns were: not only raising public awareness to unprecedented levels, but also demonstrating what grassroots action, cross-sector alliances, and inclusive parliamentary engagement can achieve when political conditions allow.
🧠 Today, however, the UK political environment is far less receptive: shrinking civic space, tighter controls on protest and campaigning, severe aid cuts, and increasing polarisation mean that achieving such sweeping impact would be far more challenging. The lessons remain vital—but new strategies and renewed energy will be needed if we’re going to tackle poverty and injustice at scale in the years ahead.
Personally my passion for tackling injustice remains just as much, but I fear for the political environment around us and find it hard in a world of toxic social media to engage in the same way.
But seeing what was possible and reigniting my youthful passion of 40 years ago, I intend to go on fighting and not be crushed by the trolls!
