WaterAid gears up for post-election action!

With the UK General Election drawing ever nearer, WaterAid is getting ready to step up its campaigning for the new government's first 100 days in power.

The aim is to ensure sanitation and water goes straight to the top of the incoming government's international development agenda, regardless of whether it is Gordon Brown, David Cameron or Nick Clegg in power.

Thanks to the campaigning efforts of WaterAid supporters, all three main political parties have made pledges in their manifestos to improve global access to water, and the Labour and Conservative parties have also laid down commitments on sanitation.

WaterAid has also made an impact on the current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who has personally written to us twice this year.

By focusing on the new government's first 100 days in office, WaterAid hopes to ensure promises are kept, and work towards transforming the lives of the 884 million people living without clean water and the 2.6 billion people lacking adequate sanitation is stepped up.

Rhian Lewis, WaterAid Campaigns Officer, said: "As there is a large number of MPs standing down at this election, there will be about 200 new MPs - the largest number of new MPs since 1945.

"Their various professional backgrounds may mean they have limited knowledge on international development, so we must get them up to speed quickly and educate them about the importance of sanitation and water for development."

Next steps
WaterAid is currently devising a list of key actions it hopes the new UK government will take in its first 100 days, as well as in preparation for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals summit in September.

More information about how you can help make sure all MPs take notice of the global water and sanitation crisis in the first 100 days will be made available after the election - regardless who wins!

Media enquiries

For media enquiries about WaterAid's first 100 days campaign, please contact Ann Noon, Media Relations Manager, on 0207 793 4790.