You may have heard the story doing the rounds of Hale Conservative Councillor Brian Gordon who dressed up as Nelson Mandela to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim a few weeks ago.
Gordon himself sent a picture to the Hendon & Finchley Times which was published last week, but the LibDem Press Officer Stieve De Lance has since decided to get righteous over it. Saying he should be "unceremoniously sacked" for "thinly veiled racism", she reported him to both the Commission for Racial Equality and to Barnet Borough Council officials.
The newspaper later managed to dig up a 30 year old article about Gordon advocating an end to immigration, and cited it as another example of him being accused of racism (the validity of this argument was discussed on CF Diary this week). They also contacted Mandela's office about the fuss, who replied:
"We don't see any harm in this whatsoever. If it was a fancy dress party and people were expected to arrive as a character or famous person, we are convinced there was no ill intent behind this. Mr Mandela commented, however, about the choice of the shirt and said - tongue-in-cheek - that it was a rather awkward choice of shirt to resemble his usual shirts. We are not oversensitive about matters like these. Whilst we need to be respectful towards the character in events of this nature, we should try not to read racism into actions which may be completely innocent."
How delicious to see this politically correct point-scoring backfire on the LibDems. Gordon was rightly supported by Mike Freer, the Conservative leader of the council and Finchley & Golders Green candidate:
"Are we now saying that white people cannot dress up as black people? I do not see how people can find it offensive. Just to categorise Nelson Mandela on the basis of his colour is demeaning to him."
Deputy Editor
A decent, proportionate and good-humoured response from Nelson Mandela - typical of the man.
Posted by: Michael McGowan | March 30, 2007 at 18:30
Mandela should be flattered - fancy dress is fancy dress and Purim is light-hearted celebration of surviving death threats from Persians........
We must allow some sense of joy and frivolity in this increasingly neurotic country, at least before Falconer empties the prisons and puts the innocent in labour camps
Posted by: TomTom | March 30, 2007 at 18:31
Good on Mandela - history will be very kind to him.
Posted by: Justin Hinchcliffe | March 30, 2007 at 18:40
One wonders what would have happened if it was a black person whitening his face. Probably nothing.
Posted by: Richard | March 30, 2007 at 19:07
Richard that is cruel at a time when poor Michael Jackson is in hospital in las Vegas with "pneumonia"
Posted by: ToMTom | March 30, 2007 at 19:26
Yeah! Where does that leave Lennie Henry???
Posted by: Annabel Herriott | March 30, 2007 at 19:26
Lenny Henry is hospital too, Annabel. His wife, Dawn French, jumped on him. Ouch!
Posted by: Vicar of Barnet | March 30, 2007 at 20:55
Did Lenny Henry turn white with anger when that happened?
Posted by: David Bullingdon | March 30, 2007 at 21:10
The real point here of course is that the rabid "anti racist" left (who are never quite so anti racist when it comes to anti semitism) try so very hard to find offense where there isn't really any and where any BME person, who isn't also signed up to the left wing false narrative of victimhood and permanent offense, doesn't see it either. It really is time to call a halt to the politically correct perversion of free speech and the right to have a sense of humour. Shame that our leadership fails to see this too.
Posted by: Matt Davis | March 31, 2007 at 00:31
Great to see the Lib Dem's dirty tricks failing so publicly. An equally great response from Mandela, further highlighting his true class.
Posted by: Michael Hewlett | March 31, 2007 at 18:25