Oxford Uni P&P demand 'Ditch Dirty Development'
On Monday 4 June, an unusually smart-casual dressed group of delegates from Oxford University P&P gathered to meet Andrew Smith MP to discuss Ditch Dirty Development.
The Oxford Uni group ask their MP to Ditch Dirty Development
David Amos of Oxford University P&P group reports:
Andrew listened well to our presentations on Ditch Dirty Development: What DFID, the World Bank and climate change have to do with each other; why development aid shouldn’t support fossil fuel extraction; why we should promote renewables instead; and why the UK should act. It turns out he was involved with Third World First (old name for P&P) when he was our age!
We posed our demands - including that he added his signature to our gigantic super-sized petition. The unrolling of the petition seemed to go on and on - it certainly made its impact. Andrew only turned down one of our demands, so we ask him to swap that one for another of his choosing.
He agreed to apply for a Ditch Dirty Development “adjournment debate” - an opportunity for MPs to debate an issue with a minister (in this case the Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn). This promise is a brilliant opportunity to advance the campaign, and totally unexpected!
A follow-up meeting was held at the P&P support office in Oxford the following week. The Oxford University group are now putting in place exciting events for next term!
Read more about the Ditch Dirty Development campaign.