
Geldof's threat to quit Blair's Africa Commission
But official papers released to the National Archives in Kew, west London, show he was outraged when – after just one meeting – the commissioners were sent a document setting its 'emerging conclusions'.
In an angry letter to the commission's director of policy, the economist Sir Nick Stern, dated August 9 2004, he said it was impossible to have come to any conclusions it such a short period of time.
The former rock star warned that he was not prepared to serve on a body which was simply there to push 'pre-determined government policy'.
'To be clear, policy must be determined by the commission independently sitting and independently deliberating and concluding of its own volition. This distinction is vital. If I have got this wrong please inform me so I may tender my resignation,' he wrote.
'More broadly, the whole notion of emerging solutions is laughable. If the solution to the misery of Africa can be 'concluded' within a mere six week time span, it is a truly remarkable feat.
'How blind we must all have been these past years. The fact is that there are not and cannot as yet be any emerging conclusions.
'The commission will lose all credibility if it is not clearly seen to be an independent entity. If it seems to advance pre-determined government policy it will be correctly viewed as a laughable grotesque.'
Bob Geldof with Bono and Tony Blair in Downing Street (PA)
Geldof went on to complain that the involvement of some of the commissioners – including some of those from Africa – appeared to have been 'minimal'.
'Is it not the secretariat's function, on behalf of the chair, to ensure that this is not the case? Or is this all some farcical political game played out at the expense of the wretchedly poor? If so, I ain't playing.'
Sir Nicholas wrote back hurriedly to assure him the that the document was not an attempt pre-empt the commission's findings, and that the input from British politicians had been 'comparatively minor'.
'Far from being an attempt to rush conclusions the paper is intended to to be a tool to help promote discussion and ensure a real interchange between commissioners at the second meeting in October,' he wrote.
'I would be very keen to sit down and discuss these questions with you; perhaps we could meet for a drink as soon as we are both around?'
Geldof's reply is not recorded in the files, but he was sufficiently placated to carry on.
After the Gleneagles summit the following year agreed to double aid to Africa and extend debt relief, he hailed it as 'mission accomplished'.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Dad faces jail after handing sensitive information on ex-Tory MP to men he thought were Russian agents
RUSSIA SPY PLOT Dad faces jail after handing sensitive information on ex-Tory MP to men he thought were Russian agents Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DAD of four who 'dreamed of being like James Bond' faces jail after being convicted of offering to spy for Russia. Scheming Howard Phillips, 65, gave personal details on then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to two undercover British officers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Scheming Howard Phillips is seen dropping a USB stick containing information on Grant Shapps into a bike Credit: PA 3 Phillips gave details personal details belonging to former Defence Secretary Mr Shapps to undercover officers posing as Russian agents Credit: AFP 3 Dad of four Phillips, 65, who 'wanted to be like Bond', faces jail Credit: BPM The former insolvency worker, whose ex-wife told of his 007 fixation, was struggling financially after retiring. A court heard he thought it would be 'easy work for easy money' to provide agents 'Dima' and 'Sasha' with a USB stick containing personal details about his local MP. The authorities had launched an investigation after Phillips, who had applied to join the UK Border Force, made contact with Russia's embassy. He became 'deeply involved' with the undercover men, who spoke to him in fake Russian accents, promising '100 per cent loyalty' with 'no questions asked'. He offered details on Mr Shapps, who he had met at a synagogue, and was nicked after handing the USB stick to 'Sasha' for £1,000 in April 2024. Phillips, of Harlow, Essex — who claimed his aim was to 'expose' a Russian agent — was convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service at Winchester crown court. Jocelyn Ledward KC, prosecuting, told the court that it is possible Shapps will provide a victim impact statement which would be read out at Phillips's sentencing. Phillips shook his head just before being led down to the cells, and appeared to mouth the words 'can't believe it'. He will be sentenced later.


Glasgow Times
37 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Ex-BBC journalist says covering Bloody Sunday sparked decades-long career
Peter Taylor, 82, from Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, subsequently dedicated a large portion of his working life to documenting events in Northern Ireland. During the Troubles he interviewed republican and loyalist inmates in a notorious prison which he said had not been accessed before, or in the same way since. He also tracked down and spoke to an MI5 officer who he said was 'central to getting the IRA to commit to peace' in a secret mission. As he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), Mr Taylor told the Princess Royal that his first assignment in Northern Ireland was covering Bloody Sunday for ITV's This Week. On January 30 1972, British soldiers shot dead 13 civil rights protesters on the streets of Londonderry. Speaking to the PA news agency at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, after being honoured for services to journalism and public service broadcasting, he said: 'I remember being shocked at what happened and feeling guilty that I knew nothing, or very little, about the background to the conflict. 'I remember that day thinking I better start trying to find out, so I spent the past 50 years trying to do exactly that.' It took him nearly 10 years of work to get permission to make a documentary inside the high-security Maze Prison housing paramilitaries, which is no longer in operation. It was otherwise known as Long Kesh and was the site of 1981 hunger strikes. People serving sentences for murder 'and a whole series of dreadful atrocities' were inside, Mr Taylor said, adding that he gained their trust to be interviewed. Mr Taylor being made a CBE (Jonathan Brady/PA) The conversations were conducted without prison officers' oversight, he added. At Windsor Castle, the former BBC journalist told PA: 'In the end, when they saw the film they were glad that they had taken part because it gave a different view of the contribution that they were potentially prepared to make towards peace. 'You know you've succeeded when you get that kind of reaction, when they're clearly expecting to take you to the cleaners for what you've done, and they say 'wasn't bad for a Brit'.' He earned the trust of major figures including former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, whose funeral he attended, and Ian Paisley, previous leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), whose memorial he was invited to. The aim was 'to get behind the mask' and that 'required them trusting me, but me trusting them to be as straight as they were prepared to be'. 'They knew I had a job to do, so when I asked really difficult questions – which in most cases they tried to answer, they knew that was part of my job – they didn't take it personally, but they knew what I was trying to do.' Another major scoop was accessing the 'back channel between MI5 and the IRA' leadership. The security service ran a secret mission designed to 'encourage the IRA to stop killing people and engage in the political process', he said. Mr Taylor meeting the Princess Royal (Jonathan Brady/PA) The MI5 officer, unearthed by Mr Taylor and his team, was 'part and parcel' of that process. He 'flatly denied' working for MI5 when Mr Taylor first approached, but the journalist left his calling card and a book he had written titled The Provos: The IRA And Sinn Fein. Around 20 years after Mr Taylor first started working on the story, the officer wrote to him and said he had watched his documentary My Journey Through the Troubles. 'He said, if there are any gaps in your knowledge that you would like to sort out, I'm now prepared to talk to you.' Mr Taylor travelled to interview him on the condition of anonymity. Fewer programmes like Mr Taylor's are now made because of lack of funding, he said, adding that his did not attract 'huge viewing figures'. 'My worry is that public service broadcasting and the climate in which I grew up and learned my trade is under threat,' he told PA. 'It needs finances. What we do, people like me try and do, is to help people understand and make political choices and pass judgments on these extremely difficult, complex issues.' The public's appetite is changing too, he said, adding: 'People just grow weary of bombs, mayhem, murder, bad news.' Young people need to 'carry the torch onwards', which is 'a hard ask' because getting jobs and story commissions is increasingly difficult, he said.

Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Ex-BBC journalist says covering Bloody Sunday sparked decades-long career
Peter Taylor, 82, from Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, subsequently dedicated a large portion of his working life to documenting events in Northern Ireland. During the Troubles he interviewed republican and loyalist inmates in a notorious prison which he said had not been accessed before, or in the same way since. He also tracked down and spoke to an MI5 officer who he said was 'central to getting the IRA to commit to peace' in a secret mission. As he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), Mr Taylor told the Princess Royal that his first assignment in Northern Ireland was covering Bloody Sunday for ITV's This Week. On January 30 1972, British soldiers shot dead 13 civil rights protesters on the streets of Londonderry. Speaking to the PA news agency at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, after being honoured for services to journalism and public service broadcasting, he said: 'I remember being shocked at what happened and feeling guilty that I knew nothing, or very little, about the background to the conflict. 'I remember that day thinking I better start trying to find out, so I spent the past 50 years trying to do exactly that.' It took him nearly 10 years of work to get permission to make a documentary inside the high-security Maze Prison housing paramilitaries, which is no longer in operation. It was otherwise known as Long Kesh and was the site of 1981 hunger strikes. People serving sentences for murder 'and a whole series of dreadful atrocities' were inside, Mr Taylor said, adding that he gained their trust to be interviewed. Mr Taylor being made a CBE (Jonathan Brady/PA) The conversations were conducted without prison officers' oversight, he added. At Windsor Castle, the former BBC journalist told PA: 'In the end, when they saw the film they were glad that they had taken part because it gave a different view of the contribution that they were potentially prepared to make towards peace. 'You know you've succeeded when you get that kind of reaction, when they're clearly expecting to take you to the cleaners for what you've done, and they say 'wasn't bad for a Brit'.' He earned the trust of major figures including former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, whose funeral he attended, and Ian Paisley, previous leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), whose memorial he was invited to. The aim was 'to get behind the mask' and that 'required them trusting me, but me trusting them to be as straight as they were prepared to be'. 'They knew I had a job to do, so when I asked really difficult questions – which in most cases they tried to answer, they knew that was part of my job – they didn't take it personally, but they knew what I was trying to do.' Another major scoop was accessing the 'back channel between MI5 and the IRA' leadership. The security service ran a secret mission designed to 'encourage the IRA to stop killing people and engage in the political process', he said. Mr Taylor meeting the Princess Royal (Jonathan Brady/PA) The MI5 officer, unearthed by Mr Taylor and his team, was 'part and parcel' of that process. He 'flatly denied' working for MI5 when Mr Taylor first approached, but the journalist left his calling card and a book he had written titled The Provos: The IRA And Sinn Fein. Around 20 years after Mr Taylor first started working on the story, the officer wrote to him and said he had watched his documentary My Journey Through the Troubles. 'He said, if there are any gaps in your knowledge that you would like to sort out, I'm now prepared to talk to you.' Mr Taylor travelled to interview him on the condition of anonymity. Fewer programmes like Mr Taylor's are now made because of lack of funding, he said, adding that his did not attract 'huge viewing figures'. 'My worry is that public service broadcasting and the climate in which I grew up and learned my trade is under threat,' he told PA. 'It needs finances. What we do, people like me try and do, is to help people understand and make political choices and pass judgments on these extremely difficult, complex issues.' The public's appetite is changing too, he said, adding: 'People just grow weary of bombs, mayhem, murder, bad news.' Young people need to 'carry the torch onwards', which is 'a hard ask' because getting jobs and story commissions is increasingly difficult, he said.