Musician Bob Geldof once threatened to storm out of Tony Blair’s Commission for Africa, warning it was in danger of becoming “a laughable grotesque”, according to newly released government files.
The Live Aid campaigner was instrumental in convincing Mr Blair to establish the commission, which was intended to examine the continent’s problems before a crucial G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, chaired by the UK.
However, official papers released to the National Archives in Kew, west London, reveal Mr Geldof’s outrage when – after just one meeting – the commissioners were sent a document setting its “emerging conclusions”.
Mr Geldof wrote an angry letter, dated 9 August 2004 and addressed to the economist Sir Nicholas Stern, the commission’s director of policy.
In it, the musician said it was impossible to have come to any conclusions in such a short period of time.
He was not prepared to serve on a body which was simply there to push “pre-determined government policy”, he warned.
“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.”
Mr 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 Mr Geldof the that the document was not an attempt to pre-empt the commission’s findings.
The input from British politicians had been “comparatively minor”, he wrote.
“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.
“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?”
Mr 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”.
