mr president i welcome the prime minister on this the first leg of the brown g twenty world tour
you have sketched a big agenda for the g twenty prime minister from combating world poverty to nuclear disarmament to peace in the middle east and i wish you success
my group congratulates you and your colleagues in the european council for mapping out the contours of a common approach albeit on a more limited agenda to the summit next week
opportunities to work with the obama administration should not be spoilt by a transatlantic war of words
i know we share that view but america retains its affection for skeletal regulation and the reality of this recession shows that those who wilfully ignored bad practice are now suffering most
we need a european financial services authority
by all means press others to support the same standards but caution from them cannot condone inaction from us
as you say we need to lock honesty transparency and the rule of law into the financial system
reform of global financial institutions is necessary too to stop current account surpluses and excess liquidity fuelling global boom and bust
we need the imf to fill that role
can it assemble more assets with increased access to crisis funds
should it become a real asset manager for parts of the global savings pool second-guessing speculators preventing panic stabilising markets
how can we reform its decision-making structures to reflect the demand for more democratic oversight and the power of emerging economies
it is crucial too despite the pain of recession to confront the challenge of climate change and the problems posed by poverty
prime minister you spoke about the need for action so will you give the imf and the world bank an explicit mandate to tackle the drought flooding and disease that accompany global warming in the developing world
will you make sure they grant lend and plan not just for market success but to achieve social progress and green goals too
we need a new and sustainable economy enshrined in a global social contract
the era of easy money is past
for future growth making a living must not equate to making a killing
but to achieve these things europe must marshal consensus and the uk must be part of it
prime minister you and i carry different colours from the political pallet but as fellows scots with a burning belief in progressive politics i know that we both understand burns when he wrote oh would some power the gift to give us to see ourselves as others see us
and those parties pushing themselves and britain to the sidelines of europe will cost their country dear
so let britain be a positive partner cast in the european mould
prime minister i expect the single currency to emerge stronger from this crisis
in the chill winds of recession investors have sheltered under the euro's wing
you designed five byzantine tests that prevented british entry these past ten years
will you now work to bring the united kingdom into the euro in the post-recession period
the uk should not stand back to the wall while others take to the floor
this is a dance that britain should join
