Editors' blog

Further along the road to the London Summit

Gordon Brown's trip to Washington has pushed the London Summit up the political agenda in the US and elsewhere. His speech to both Houses of Congress was well received and given favourable reviews in the American media. Editorial comment in, for example, the New York Times shows that the opportunity presented by the G20 meeting is now being grasped. Each country has its own priorities for the London Summit, as can be seen by scanning the Global Update page on this website, and there are some divisions in emphasis becoming evident. None of them appears insuperable, however, and Mr Brown's plan for a `grand bargain' or a `global new deal' is gaining traction. With four weeks to go, the attention will focus on these points of difference - let us know what you think through the Join the Debate page.

Posted at 17:31 05 March 2009 by Editor  |  Comments[0]

The invitations have gone out

With the publication of the list of world leaders invited to the London Summit, another milestone has been passed. The G20 leaders have all been included, together with Spain and the Netherlands. Most interest will be attracted, however, by the inclusion of representatives of African and Asian countries to achieve a better global balance around the table. This was immediately welcomed by One, an NGO founded by Bono and Bobby Shriver among others, and supported by Bob Geldof and other high profile activists - its supporters were urged to sign a thank-you note to Gordon Brown for including Africa. With Mr Brown's Roadmap for the London Summit sparking debate around the world over his proposed `Global Deal', there is plenty to discuss in the 41 days left before the big event.

Posted at 17:12 20 February 2009 by Editor  |  Comments[0]

A roadmap for the London Summit

In launching `The Road to the London Summit' earlier today, Gordon Brown emphasised that global solutions were needed to deal with the impact of the financial crisis on homeowners, workers, small businesses and families around the world. Like other governments, the UK had stepped in to deal with the problems, by protecting savings, supporting families and businesses in the downturn, ensuring banks
maintained lending and investing in a resilient recovery. However, action needed to be co-ordinated, he said, and it needed to have a global perspective on issues such as regulation, protectionism and the reform of international financial institutions. The report sets out elements that might form what the UK Prime Minister called a `grand bargain' - a global deal to get the world economy back on track. This website offers an opportunity to debate those elements and to suggest other issues that should be tackled as part of the package. 

Posted at 17:28 18 February 2009 by Editor  |  Comments[0]