Manifesto Watch on Development – Lawrence Haddad, IDS, April 22, 2010

Issue Labour Conservatives Liberal Democrat

Mentions of 2 2 1
Global
poverty
Mentions of 3 1 3
Millennium
development
goals
Mentions of 2 3 0
Africa
Mentions of 12 (11) 18 (1) 17 (13)
Climate
change (2005
numbers)
Mentions of 5 5 5
Human rights
Mentions of 3 1 4
Equity
Length of Global Poverty Emergency 1.5pp One world conservatism 2pp Climate 4pp
sections Strengthening global security and Combating climate change 3pp Development 1.5 pp
preventing conflict 1pp
Green recovery 4.25pp
Framing A green future for Britain: A Protect the Environment: vote Your World
Green Recovery blue go green
Britain must work together with our
To be on track for the transition to A Conservative government will cut partners abroad if we are to have
a low-carbon economy in a way carbon emissions and rebuild our the best hope of meeting the
that is fair, secure and helps create energy security. We will make it challenges the world faces. We
the jobs of the future, as we protect easier for people to go green, with believe in freedom, justice,
and enhance our natural incentives for people to do the right prosperity and human rights for all
environment and quality of life. For thing. We will protect our precious and will do all we can to work
the Tories the environment has habitats and natural resources, and towards a world where these hopes
been all about image — by failing
to deliver on our renewable energy
targets, reversing our planning
reforms and giving up on our new
industrial strategy, they would put
Labour’s low-carbon revolution in
jeopardy.
• Towards a green economy
• Clean energy
• Making green living easier and
fairer
• Sustainable farming, healthy
food
• Thriving rural communities
A global future
“To harness our strengths and
values, as we develop Britain’s
world role in a global era, using our
alliances and networks in order to
promote security, economic
prosperity, development and to
safeguard the environment. The
contrast with the Tory view could
not be starker: they are stuck in
the past, spurning alliances in
Europe and helpless to defend our
interests or secure the global
change we need”
• Afghanistan: our commitment
• Strengthening our armed forces
and national security
• A strong Britain in a reformed
promote a sustainable farming become reality. Above all, climate
industry. We will fulfil our change is the greatest challenge
responsibility to hand on a richer facing this generation.
and more sustainable natural
environment to future generations.
• Securing Britain’s future with
• Combat climate change global action
o Ambitious goals for
• Tackling climate change
reducing emissions
o Promote low carbon • Leading the fight against
energy production climate change
o Safeguard the UK’s
energy security • Protecting the global
o Help people go green environment
• Meeting Britain’s obligations to
• Conserve and enhance the the developing world
natural environment
o Conserve wildlife • Equipping Britain’s armed
o Protect habitats forces for the 21st century
o Promote sustainable and • A fair deal for our service
productive farming personnel
practices
o Use natural resources • Putting Britain at the heart of
responsibly Europe
• Standing up for liberal values all
Promote our National Interest: over the world
A Conservative government will
defend our national security and
support our brave Armed Forces in
everything they do. We will
promote our national interest with
an active foreign policy. We will
work constructively with the EU,
but we will not hand over any more
areas of power and we will never
 Europe
• Strengthening global security
and preventing conflict
• The global poverty emergency:
our moral duty our common
interest
• Reforming global institutions
International • Lead an international campaign
Development to get MDGs back on track
Policy • Enshrine 0.7 in law early in next
parliament
• Aid will target the poorest and
most excluded
• Fight corruption
• Strengthen tax systems
• At least 5% of all “funding
developing country budgets” to
strengthening parliaments and
civil society
• Maintain leadership in debt
join the Euro. We will honour our
aid commitments and make sure
this money works for the poorest
nations
• a stronger Britain in a safer
world
• defend our security
o a resilient nation
o support our brave armed
forces
• a liberal conservative foreign
policy
o promote our enlightened
self interest
• an open and democratic Europe
o restore democratic
control
• one world conservatism
o deliver on our
commitment to the
world’s poorest nations
Liberal Democrats are committed
“We will honour our commitment to to working towards a world free
spend 0.7 per cent of national from poverty, inequality and
income in aid, and ensure our aid is injustice and meeting the
transparent and properly targeted. Millennium Development Goals is a
vital first step. But beyond this we
We will spend at least £500 million will also ensure that action is taken
a year to tackle malaria. Both the to allow developing nations to grow
British people and those who and to prevent them suffering
receive aid will get more control unfairly the effects of climate
over how it is spent. change infl cted by developed
countries.
We will push for a trade deal which
brings growth to the poorest • Increase the UK’s aid budget to
 cancellation
• Maintain support for health,
education
• Move water and sanitation up
the agenda
• Global Council on Child Hunger
• Double funding to new UN
agency on women
• Work closely with NGOs and
developing countries to
eliminate user fees
• Encourage others to ratify ILO
standards on labour
• Quadruple funding for fair and
ethical trade
• Press for a fair WTO deal—no
enforced liberalisation, duty
free quota free access
• Reforming global institutions:
power is shifting downwards
and outwards to new nonstate
actors—governments and
global institutions must respond
• Extension of the G8
• WB and IMF to focus more on
poorest and on green growth,
both becoming more inclusive,
IMF to focus more on stability
• Radical UN reform, overhaul of
agencies, new sec council,
budget reform
• Make a case for the enduring
role for the commonwealth
• Reform of NATO, strengthen
capacity of regional security
countries, helps those countries
adapt to climate change, and puts
in place the building blocks of
wealth creation”
• We will legislate in the first
session of a new Parliament to
lock in this level of spending for
every year from 2013.
• Create a new Stabilisation and
Reconstruction Force to bridge
the gap between the military
and the reconstruction effort.
• We will stop giving aid to China
and Russia and review which
other countries should get
British aid. We will focus more
on the poorest, paying
particular attention to
development within the
Commonwealth.
• establish a Poverty Impact Fund
to support innovative and
effective British poverty fighting
groups which do not currently
qualify for government funding;
• explore ways to help the very
poorest developing countries
take part in international
climate change negotiations,
and work to make our aid
‘climate-smart’;
• end Labour’s use of the Export
Credit Guarantee Department
reach the UN target of 0.7 per
of GNI by 2013 and enshrine
that target in law. We will hold
the G8 to its Gleneagles
pledges on aid, including on the
0.7 per cent target.
• Work with other countries to
establish new sources of
development financing,
including bringing forward
urgent proposals for a financial
transaction tax and a cap-and-
trade system for carbon
emissions from aviation and
shipping.
• Support reform of the global
financial institutions such as the
World Bank and IMF.
• Ban banks from facilitating the
transfer of funds obtained by
corruption. We will crack down
on tax havens which allow
individuals and corporations to
avoid paying taxes to
developing countries.
• Ensure that the developing
world is prepared to deal with
the consequences of a changing
climate. We will ensure that
adaptation and mitigation
measures are financed by
industrialised nations on top of
existing aid commitments.
• Prioritise health and education
programmes which aim to
promote gender equality,
 organisations such as the
African Union
• International commitments and
a voice for Britain in
international affairs not an
option extra -- central to our
vision of a better Britain
• Strengthen alliances in a way
that speaks to values
to support investment in dirty
fossil fuel power stations, and
instead use it to help spread
new green energy technology
to developing countries
• encourage the establishment of
a Pan-African Free Trade Area,
which has the potential to
transform that continent’s
economies.
reduce maternal and infant
mortality, and restrict the
spread of major diseases like
HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. We
will focus effort on supplying
basic needs like clean water.
• Support a global fund for social
protection to help developing
countries build viable welfare
systems.
• Push for a renewed
international effort on debt and
support 100 per cent
cancellation of the unpayable
debts of the world’s poorest
countries. We will also take
measures against ‘vulture
funds’ and lobby for similar
action at international level