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EU debate must consider Britain's role in tackling global poverty

By agency reporter
May 2, 2016

Any debate around the UK’s future in the European Union must take into account the country’s role in fighting poverty and inequality across the world, Christian Aid has said. 

This follows comments made on Friday (29 April 2016)  by the UK Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, who spoke at the London Business School on ‘The UK’s place in the world and the EU referendum’.

During her address, Ms. Greening highlighted the importance of global partnerships when confronting "intractable problems" such as the Syria and South Sudan conflicts, climate change and the recent Ebola outbreak.

In response Christine Allen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs for Christian Aid, said: “The debate around the EU referendum has too often focused on narrow self-interest. It is therefore refreshing that Secretary of State Justine Greening spoke this morning about the vote in the context of big global issues and the fight against global poverty.

“We know that issues such as conflict, transparency and climate change are root causes of poverty and transcend national boundaries. We agree that it is vital to work in partnership with others to work effectively together to address them.

“While the EU is just one of several global groupings that the UK is part of, it is important that people consider what will best enable the UK to play a leadership role in these areas when they cast their vote on 23 June. "

She concluded: “We encourage people to ask how, in the event of either outcome, we can best encourage our government and other governments to hold firm to their commitments to global justice, peace and security, and poverty eradication, and to take them further still.”

* Christian Aid http://www.christianaid.org.uk/index.aspx

Further resources from Ekklesia on the EU referendum: *What kind of European future? (Ekklesia, 13 June 2016) – http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23160
* Assessing Christian contributions to the EU referendum debate (Ekklesia, 20 June 2016) – http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23188* Ten principles to guide voting in the EU referendum and beyond (Ekklesia, 21 June 2016) - http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/23194
* Ekklesia’s EU referendum briefing and commentary: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/eureferendum

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