Lynne Featherstone

Went to an All Party Group on Genocide meeting that is especially on the Darfur genocide. Chaired by John Bercow. His tack on Darfur is the need to set up an oil trust where the income would be able to be used for humanitarian purposes but which would also put pressure on the Government of Sudan not to renege on its recent agreement to allow the AU / UN troops to be deployed - albeit not until next year. It seems a good idea to me!

There was a good discussion about divestment (to put financial pressure on the Sudanese government) and how it won't fall foul of all the obstacles that people throw up in your path. Pension funds are often an apparent obstacle – because of duties on trustees to seek the highest return on the money. But – as was pointed out – when you want to target one particular country, it is often possible to pull the money out from one firm and reinvest it in similar firms and similar industries with similar returns, but who operate elsewhere. Certainly something to be pursued!