"THE DEVELOPED world need to prepare for 'pain' in its relationship with Africa, to secure the 'gain' of a prosperous continent," Mr Blair, our migrant Prime Minister has threatened.

Since much of Britain is no longer part of the developed world, should his words worry us? Oh yes! Because our PM and his disciples show growing signs of living in a Spielbergian Dream Works kind of world. In such a world, Britain is still great, the economy is booming, and the citizens are rich beyond dreams.

Apparently unnoticed by this PM, tens of thousands of people in his country -- a country he now only occasionally visits -- perish unnecessarily every year because of lack of funds. Yet the British people are asked again to bear even more pain to finance his misguided generosity abroad on the one hand, and never ending warfare on the other.

Many more basic services will now be cut further at home; VAT and other costs that hit low earners the most will surely go up and up, and back are the Tory-type virtues "we must tighten our belts, must work harder, pay ourselves too much" -- always meaning us, while their own coffers are bulging.

So it is still true: "Third World aid means taking it from the poor in rich countries and giving it to the rich in poor countries." The "Third World" and other worlds would be far better off if left alone, and not being plundered continuously -- raw materials, produce and labour -- by "First World" global trade raiders.

Mrs B Stewart

Lord's Stile Lane

Bromley Cross, Bolton