G8 SummitBritish prime minister Tony Blair has welcomed president George Bush's commitment to double US aid to Africa, and says the announcement has created "real momentum" for next week's G8 Summit.
At the same time chancellor Gordon Brown is already claiming "historic" gains tied to the Gleneagles gathering, while further raising expectations of what can flow from it.
As final preparations were being made for tomorrow's Live 8 Concert in Hyde Park - and as the first anti-G8 protesters started establishing their "eco village" on the banks of the River Forth in Scotland - 10 Downing Street said the American announcement, combined with commitments from the EU, Japan and Canada, meant the G8 and EU would more than double aid to Africa by 2010, as called for by the Commission for Africa established by Mr Blair.
In the Commons, meanwhile, Mr Brown gave details of a package which could lead to total debt relief for Nigeria over the next six months.
The chancellor said the Paris Club - a group of 19 countries including the UK, US and Japan - had agreed the further debt write-off "in principle" and claimed a significant advance in negotiations in which they were "backing reformers in Nigeria, writing off debt and enabling expenditures to go to health and education in that country." Acknowledging past difficulties in Nigeria, Mr Brown said there was "a new interest" in human rights in this area. "What we want to do is send out a message that those people who are prepared to tackle corruption, prepared to make economic reforms and go for economic development will be supported."
In an interview in the New Statesman, Mr Brown also makes clear his view that Gleneagles should mark the beginning of a process of real change in the attitude of the world's richest countries to its poorest.
Looking ahead to the special UN Summit in September and the World Trade Organisation conference in December, he says: "All of these goals will not be met in one day, or even one year. These are longer-term ideals, bolder, radical, which we can achieve in years to come."
Asked if he isn't actually lowering expectations for Gleneagles, the chancellor insists: "The opposite is true. Until a year ago the problem was that public expectations were too low.
"What has happened in the past few months is historic."
Mr Brown praises Oxfam, Christian Aid and other non-governmental organisations for the pressure they have brought to bear on the poverty issue - making special mention of Bob Geldof and Bono, and welcoming the forthcoming marches on Edinburgh and elsewhere, while stressing they must be properly stewarded to ensure "that nothing happens which prevents us from focusing on the issues".
Zimbabwe - and hunger strikes by failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers in Britain resisting deportation - was one issue last night threatening to cast its shadow over the G8.
The Home Office confirmed there was no change in policy while insisting it would not be removing anyone who faced persecution on returning to Zimbabwe.
But Labour MP Kate Hoey urged the government to show "moral leadership" on the issue and hoped returns were not simply being delayed to avoid embarrassment for Mr Blair or South Africa's President Mbeki at next week's summit.