LIB DEMS SET OUT PRIORITIES FOR G8 SUMMIT

8.17.26am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Jul 2005

The Liberal Democrats have launched their "G8 Communiqué: Priorities for Action", warning the leaders of the world's eight richest nations against limiting the Gleneagles Summit to "excuses for inaction and carefully honed presentations of warm words and sympathy". Also yesterday, Gordon Brown has told Live8 campaigners that it may not be possible to secure all the demands made by the Make Poverty History campaign. The comments reflect concerns that the government has set its G8 presidency ambitions too high, at the risk of letting down lobby groups.

We believe that the G8 would be better placed to make progress if representatives of the poorest countries were sitting at the same table and were fully involved. World summits should operate under the maxim: 'Not about them, without them.' Aid and debt relief are essential, but so also is concerted action against corruption, to protect human rights, and to promote free and fair trade, if development is to be sustainable in the long-term.