Mo Farah, Robbie Williams, Eddie Izzard and Sienna Miller are among the celebrities who have joined forces to demand George Osborne keep his promises on aid when he announces the Budget on 20th March – to help the battle against world hunger (see below). For more information on the campaign, see the video in our featured videos list or on the Enough Food If website. You can help the campaign. Sign up now at www.enoughfoodif.org and make sure the G8 leaders put food on the agenda when they meet in the UK in June.
The letter
Dear Chancellor,
I am writing to thank you for your leadership in protecting the aid budget. By announcing in the Budget that the UK will give 0.7% of national income to life saving aid, you’ll be making good a 43-year-old promise and helping millions of people in their fight against poverty and hunger. In 2012, the UK demonstrated inspiring global leadership and community spirit through our hosting of the Olympic Games. This year, the UK Government has an opportunity to build on that promising legacy, when it hosts a major summit on food and hunger and chairs the G8 in June. Keeping our word and doing the right thing are part of what Britain stands for. We can be proud that, in the face of crises, in good times and bad, the British public show great strength and generosity. Because of this, we can be collectively proud that huge strides have been made in reducing poverty and 14,000 fewer children are dying each day than in 1990. The world is at a tipping point where we could abolish absolute poverty but hunger is threatening to reverse these achievements. Food prices have been higher than ever in recent years, affecting people everywhere and climate change is making things worse. By matching the strength of spirit of the British people, we could be the generation that starts to end hunger. No budget decisions can be taken lightly, but investing in the long term will be cheaper for all of us. We simply can’t afford hunger to rise to the emergency famine levels we saw in 2011. In order for poor countries to be self-sufficient, as well as investment in aid they also need their own revenue to spend on fighting hunger. That is why the IF campaign is also calling on the UK and other governments to change global rules to make sure companies pay their fair share of tax in the poor countries in which they operate. Along with others, I am proud that the UK is keeping its promise to provide 0.7% of our income for life saving aid and leading the way on vital tax reforms, which will provide a lasting solution for the world’s poorest people.
Yours Sincerely
Mo Farah, Olympic Gold Medallist Robbie Williams, Singer; Ewan McGregor, Actor; Bill Nighy, Actor; Jemima Khan, Journalist and Campaigner; Sienna Miller, Actor; Raymond Blanc, Chef; Dermot O’Leary, Presenter; Helena Christensen, Model; Angelique Kidjo, Singer; Michael Sheen, Actor; Eddie Izzard, Comedian; Shazia Mirza, Comedienne; Tamsin Greig, Actor; Tom Hiddleston, Actor; Keeley Hawes, Actor; Joanne Froggatt, Actor; Fay Ripley, Actor; Valentine Warner, Chef; Vivek Singh, Chef; Emilia Fox, Actor; Miriam Margolyes, Actor; Jimmy Doherty, Presenter ; Roger Lloyd Pack, Actor; Billy Boyd, Actor; Atul Kochar, Chef; Jun Tanaka, Chef, Cat Deeley, TV Presenter