Foreign office minister Jeremy Browne was accused of racism by a heckler on Question Time last night after remarks about the French. Talking about the Anglo-French defence treaty signed by the prime minister and President Sarkozy this week, he said: "We're not merging our Army with France. Our soldiers won't be required to speak French or wear onions round their necks or stripey t-shirts, or ride bicycles."
Foreign office minister Jeremy Browne was accused of racism by a heckler on Question Time last night after remarks about the French. Talking about the Anglo-French defence treaty signed by the prime minister and President Sarkozy this week, he said:
“We’re not merging our Army with France. Our soldiers won’t be required to speak French or wear onions round their necks or stripey t-shirts, or ride bicycles.
“Don’t believe every thing you read in the newspapers.”
Watch it:
Yesterday, Left Foot Forward looked at whether Anglo-French co-operation on nuclear warheads, covered by the treaty, was legal.
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21 Responses to “Lib Dem foreign minister’s French slur”
Anon E Mouse
Shamik Das – Fair enough on the Woolas thing.
I don’t know if you’re aware of it but last night the audience was apparently “encouraged” to be boisterous and heckle since it was in Sheffield.
The whole thing stinks of a typical media stitch up although I have to say Jack Straw came across very well (and before anyone says it I’m not sucking up to his son here. As if…)
tgc63
First of all I am a Labour supporter.
I watched the program. If anything I think the attack was against the right wing media i.e. the Mail.
Having said that he was struggling now that he is in government, having to defend rather than attack……..c’est la vie
Liz McShane
Given that the Lib Dems are or were (as we know they have done lots of U turns since May 10) supposedly the most Euro-friendly party, this sort of comment by someone who should know better than to resort to simplistic tabloid style headlines is pretty pathetic as well as unedifying.
13eastie
“Let’s be clear, at no stage have we called Mr Browne racist”
That is truly pathetic. You’re only kidding yourself, young man…
You know full well that his remark, in context, was an attempt to lampoon those who use stereo-types and innuendo to make political points. He made no remark at all about the French themselves. These are the “facts” and they’re barely WORTH “reporting” (as you call it).
To aim to create racism out of thin air to serve (what you misguidedly think) are your interests is childish, cynical and smacks of desperation.
The gleeful posting of your silly clip entitled “Jeremy Browne accused of racism on Question Time” in a post that outright accuses him of making a “French slur”, says a lot more about you than it does about him.
And Woolas’ disgraceful election pamphlets spoke more truth about him and Labour than they did about Oldham or his opponents.
jeff_h
More racist crap from Shamik. You wouldn’t be implying he was a racist if he wasn’t white.