Worth Valley Labour councillor John Cope has been elected as national treasurer of the World Development Move-ment (WDM), a pressure group which campaigns for justice for the world's poor.

Cllr Cope is chairman of Bradford council's Keighley area planning sub-comittee and a former director of finance and general manager of the old Airedale Health Authority. He has been involved with the WDM for many years.

The organisation is, along with other agencies, campaigning for a reduction in the debt burden of the world's poorest countries. Other WDM campaigns include control and regulation of the arms trade, the prevention of economic exploitation and promoting development and self help. The movement persuaded big toy companies to adopt a code of conduct for their factories in the Third World.

to help improve workers' conditions and successfully campaign for end the Aid and Trade Provision which used overseas aid to benefit British industry. More aid will not go directly to the world's poorest people.

Cllr Cope is chairman of Keighley planning sub-committee.

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