Posted on 12/27/2005 7:43:10 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
BOB Geldof, the rock singer behind the Make Poverty History campaign and Live8 concerts, is to act as a consultant to Britain's main opposition Conservatives, the party announced today.
Geldof, who led calls for the Group of Eight richest nations to act on debt, trade and poverty during July's Gleneagles summit, will work as an adviser to Tory leader David Cameron's new Globalisation and Global Poverty policy group.
The move is likely to be seen as a coup for Mr Cameron, who was elected to the post earlier this month, and signals a move by Tories onto ground championed by Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Finance Minister Gordon Brown.
Announcing the new body, Mr Cameron said he was delighted Geldof was on board and stressed the often outspoken activist would remain "entirely non-partisan".
"He will bring his influence to bear, in order to help us to go in the direction that he and we both want to go," Mr Cameron said.
Conservative home affairs spokesman David Davis spoke of reaching out to the "wrist band generation" during hustings for the leadership.
The reference was not only to the millions who bought white plastic bracelets to support Make Poverty History but also for the need for the Conservative Party to adapt to prevent a fourth straight defeat at the polls.
Mr Cameron - a youthful, telegenic moderniser who is looking to revamp his party's traditional image and increase the number of women and ethnic minority Members of Parliament - pledged to make his one-time rival's remarks reality.
"A new generation of concerned citizens want prosperity for themselves and progress for the poor - whether living on the other side of the street or the other side of the world," he said.
"Modern, compassionate Conservatism means responding to their demands.
"Our policy group will develop ideas to enable the economic empowerment of the poorest people on our planet, for example through property rights and other institutions to promote economic development and wealth creation."
Why? I live here in Edinburgh. This is my home. I met this woman and liked her. I work with her. She's a human being. Very pretty. Smart. Motivated. The fact that she's a Muslim is secondary to me.
At any rate, who are you to judge who I like or love?
There's a difference now? I saw an interview with the latest Conservative leader and he all but said he is going to accept past Labour policies of bigger government and would continue those policies. I suppose the days of Thatcher's Conservative party are long gone. Much as the conservative aspects of the Republican party here
Where exactly in the UK have you lived?
Well, I don't see how you can make a fair comparison that PC in the UK is worse than in the US if you haven't lived here.
The newspapers and television are a very thin soda straw through which to view and learn about the world.
I came to the UK 6 years ago. Do you think I know a little bit more about it now than I did before I came here? You betcha. It makes sense doesn't it?
You're one of those that wants to remove the mote from every one else's eye before you remove the beam from your own. There are problems everywhere. There are good people everywhere. At the end of the day, life can be beautiful or it can be ugly. Most times it's both all at once. It's up to each individual how to see it.
I like the UK. Life here is ok. It's all what you make out of it. I can find something to hate on any street corner in any country in the world. Or I can look around and realise that there are a lot of beautiful things and people out there and be glad for it.
I choose the latter. I'd rather not hate if I don't have to and I gotta tell ya- there haven't been many instances in life where I just had to hate somebody- so there you go.
By the way- your tag line... Which Muslims and out of where?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.