Shame on embittered has-been Clare Short for her frankly weird attack on Baroness Amos.
Short said of Amos' presence at the EU/Africa summit "I don't see any reason to send a kind of pseudo-minister and I think that it's not right to send her because she's black. I don't see any other reason for sending her."
Well done to Amos for the dignity with which she has responded to questions about Short's remarks.
However, there may have been a better case made for sending no-one at all. Either you boycott something or you don't: sending a lower-level substitute is itself a half-hearted and compromised response.
ReplyDeleteZimbabwe is not the only topic up for discussion at the EU-African summit.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I believe the government's strategy on Darfur is deeply flawed, (promoting peace talks in the current circumstances is tantamount to supporting the GoS), it would be daft not to have a voice on an issue as important as the genocide there.
Does seem odd though Luke.
ReplyDeleteBrown could have boycotted it personally, to send a signal, but sent lower ranking ministers.
The odd thing is he refused to send ministers too, but sent a non-minister - who happens to be black. I don't think that's the reason she went actually, but you can see why people may think that if Brown withdraws everyone and then just sends her.
Shame on Gordon Brown for sending any old black person. They all know about africa don't they. Baroness Amos is from Guyana and I don't think her Hackney credentials help much
ReplyDelete