Kick me, please

I'm not sure it's an admirable quality, but there's no doubt that Bog Geldof loves causing trouble. In his speech to the Labour Party conference on Wednesday Geldof praised President Bush's efforts in combating AIDS in Africa. Although less incendiary, I would bet that the President's initiative – Pepar – would be even less popular among Labour delegates than is his Iraq policy.

"Pepar, which is Bush's almost personal response to the Global Fund, is a highly effective Aids combatant mechanism.

"It works. It's uncomfortable for people to speak these unspoken truths but a lot of that stuff is working."

He continued: "In general in rural Africa women have no power. They also cannot refuse sexual favours. I've seen marked in chalk on these rural huts - 'safe sex, fidelity' ".

He added: "It's giving women a weapon they can use."

At least Geldof is keeping his eyes and his mind open to the possibility that programs he doesn't support might actually do some good. That is admirable.