The government has announced it will donate any VAT raised on purchases of the new Live Aid DVD and the forthcoming reworking of the Band Aid track 'Do They Know It's Christmas' back to the Band Aid charities. Based on estimates that 500,000 copies of the DVD recording of the legendary charity concert are sold, in addition to a million copies of the Band Aid single, that would see the charity receiving an extra £4 million. The move mirrors a gesture made by the then Conservative government back in 1985 who donated money to charities working in Ethiopia and Chad equivalent to the VAT collected on sales of the original 1984 Band Aid record.
Announcing his decision to redistribute the tax money, Gordon Brown, told reporters this weekend: "Ever since its launch 20 years ago, Band Aid has had a huge impact, raising the plight of the world's poorest and raising funds to help them. More than that, Band Aid has won millions to the cause of fighting global poverty. I want to do everything I can to support their work and so people can buy the DVD and record this Christmas knowing that all the money they spend will go to support the vital work of the Band Aid Trust in the poorest countries of Africa."
Speaking at the launch of the Live Aid DVD yesterday, Bob Geldof told reporters: "I just came back from Africa. I was with child witches in the Congo two days ago, and the telephone rang, and it was Gordon Brown. He said to me: 'Ah, Bob, hello, what about the VAT on the record?' I said:'Yeah, I hadn't thought about that. I forgot all that stuff.' But they hadn't, because Gordon Brown and Tony Blair are the same sort of generation, so they're my age, and so I just had tea with them, as you do on a Sunday afternoon. It's millions saved on VAT. That's a serious wedge, and shows a political climate change".
The Live Aid DVD is released today. Recording of the new Band Aid single is due to take place in London next weekend.