The UK's leading overseas aid and environmental agencies have formed a new alliance in a new campaign to support overseas aid. They launched a `Manifesto for Aid' in July which has attracted the support from a powerful alliance of business, the medical establishment, trade unions and academic.

The Manifesto shows why aid is good for Britain. It will form the basis of an intensive lobbying campaign to reverse the decline in Britain's overseas aid spending. The Manifesto also challenges all the country's main political parties to state their commitment to sustaining and increasing official aid.

The new for a new campaign to put the positive case for aid arises from the drastic decline in Britain's overseas aid spending culminating in last year's 5.4% cut.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd George Carey, said in support of the British overseas aid: "I have seen repeatedly on my travels throughout the Anglican Communion what a vital contribution the British aid programme makes in developing countries. In countries like Sudan it can mean the difference between life and death for thousands. I believe that our aid budget should be increased to share more of our comparative wealth with poorer countries."