IT is easy to be sceptical about the Live8 project. Why should we listen to multi-millionaire musicians preaching about world poverty?

Why should we believe that Live8 will make a lasting difference when Live Aid didn't?

Scepticism has to be set aside because, frankly, there is no alternative. Which other course of action has a chance of fundamentally tackling global starvation and disease?

They may be only rock stars, but who else has the ability to reach millions of people around the world with a message to put irresistible pressure on political leaders?

It is because public confidence in politicians is at such a low ebb that the likes of Bob Geldof and Bono have become unlikely global statesmen leading humanity's most important campaign. They are filling a void created by the failure of politicians.

So who cares if the main motivation for some of the performers is to sell more records? Who cares if they are driven by their own egos?

What is important is that they are doing something which politicians are incapable of doing - galvanising huge numbers of people into action.

We applaud Bob Geldof and the stars of music for putting on the greatest show on earth in a bid to Make Poverty History.