The United Kingdom plays a “dramatically diminished” role in confronting global problems compared with 20 years ago, according to public polling released to mark the anniversary of the 2005 Make Poverty History campaign.
The survey, carried out for the ONE Campaign, found only 14% of Britons believe their country is a global leader — compared with 35% two decades ago, when the United Kingdom’s leaders, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, put boosting aid and canceling debt center stage for its G8 presidency.
Yet three-quarters of Britons believe the U.K. should address worldwide challenges, the polling found, prompting a coalition of NGOs to call on the current prime minister, Keir Starmer, to revive the spirit of the 2005 campaign and make the U.K. “a true ally” of lower-income nations.
About the author
Rob Merrick
Rob Merrick is the U.K. Correspondent for Devex, covering FCDO and British aid. He reported on all the key events in British politics of the past 25 years from Westminster, including the financial crash, the Brexit fallout, the "Partygate" scandal, and the departures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Rob has worked for The Independent and the Press Association and is a regular commentator on TV and radio. He can be reached at rob.merrick@devex.com.
