Brown seeks to calm tv show row

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Iram

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Posted: 19 years ago

Last Updated: Thursday, 18 January 2007, 11:47 GMT

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Brown seeks to calm TV show row

Mr Brown is in India to promote better relations with the UK

Gordon Brown is meeting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as the Big Brother row casts a shadow over his attempts to boost bilateral relations. He hopes his trip to India will boost trade and strategic links with the UK. But the chancellor has been repeatedly asked about allegations that Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has been the victim of racist bullying on the show. He repeated his assurances that the UK and India are "against forms of racism and intolerance" at a press conference. "We are for countries that practise what we preach, which is a message of fairness and tolerance to all human beings," he said. Racism 'not tolerated' The prime minister's spokesman said that the British High Commissioner has contacted the Indian government about the row, "underlining the means by which we handle these kinds of complaints". He said it was "not a matter the [British] government itself should become involved in" and said Ofcom would consider complaints.

I understand that in the UK there have already been 10,000 complaints from viewers about these remarks, which people see, rightly, as offensive

Gordon Brown

Analysis: Big Brother crashes into politics

But he added that the message had to go out "loud and clear" that Britain did not tolerate racism. The row has dominated media coverage of Mr Brown's visit to India. He has said the issue has been raised repeatedly with him, and has dominated public press conferences as well as newspapers in both countries. Asked about it on Wednesday, Mr Brown said: "I understand that in the UK there have already been 10,000 complaints from viewers about these remarks, which people see, rightly, as offensive." The chancellor, who is widely expected to succeed Tony Blair as prime minister, also said the huge number of complaints showed that British people did not accept racism. BBC correspondent Sanjoy Majumder said the Indian finance minister had said the row would not have an impact on British-Indian relations. On Thursday Mr Brown is launching a forum for better economic dialogue and visiting schools in Dehli and a women's business project which have received UK aid. His trip is part of the largest ever British business delegation to India, with more than 150 business people from 80 UK companies. He has said that Britain and India must combine in a "new alliance for progress" to tackle climate change and terrorism.

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bsmartguy

@bsmartguy

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Posted: 19 years ago

I understand that in the UK there have already been 10,000 complaints from viewers about these remarks, which people see, rightly, as offensive

But what have C4, Endemol have done until now rather than denying that there is racism in the house.... They should do something now over 27000 complaints have been made. 27000 ppl believe that theree is racism in the house. Thats quite a large number....

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-Pj-

@-Pj-

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+ 2

Posted: 19 years ago

so many people have complained yet c4 n the production house has not done anything to cool the matter i feel they want ti to get worse to there rating increse

off topic as this was bout gordan brown i hope hes not the next Pm

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Brown seeks to calm tv show row

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