Equal partners
DELHI: The Brown tour has touched down in India after a two day sprint round China which left even Kelly Holmes - accompanying the PM to promote sporting links - exhausted. The message here is that the partnership between Britain - the world's oldest democracy - and India - the world's largest democracy - is one between equals. He will call for greater co-operation between the two countries to combat terrorism and offer more aid to assist India's development.
The Prime Minister will repeat Britain's call for India to be given a seat on the UN Security Council in a speech tomorrow which will echo his call at the Lord Mayor's Banquet for the reform of the post war international institutions - not just the UN but the IMF and World Bank as well - so they can focus on the 21st century problems of failing states, financial instability and climate change.
Unless Shilpa Shetty turns up to greet him this part of the trip feels decidedly low key which may suit Mr Brown on the eve of a tricky week in the Commons with a statement on Northern Rock, the publication of the Counter Terrorism Bill, the start of the debate on the European Treaty and the vote on MPs pay.
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Comments
Apropos the new EU Treaty (aka Constitutional Treaty), as Brown is willing to give up further British sovereignty, we might as well also hand over our seat at UN Security Council to India and/or the EU.
First, how on earth is Britain the world's oldest democracy? Is this part of Brown's UK citizenship education that Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú journos are supposed to go through?
Second, what the hell are we doing giving so much money to India for? It is one of the world's fastest growing economies, and one of the biggest national markets in the world?
Amazing, Brown can find over £800m of aid for people on the other side of the world who have never heard of him but he cannot afford to pay our police what they are entitled.
Also, how about some joined up journalism here please - Brown insists that India do more to make the world more secure but his government cannot even make Hackney safe enough for his cabinet colleague to walk there late at night. If you ask a question like this will Brown throw you off the plane?
In the last two days Gordon Brown has announced £50m aid for China and £825m over the next three years for India.
This is great stuff for Gordon Brown - world statesman.
What is he doing about the heart-rending request from Mrs Newlove for something to be done about feral youths killing decent people like her husband?
When is he going to spend a billion pounds of our tax money tackling that problem???
In the last two days Gordon Brown has announced £50m aid for China and £825m over the next three years for India.
This is great stuff for Gordon Brown - world statesman.
What is he doing about the heart-rending request from Mrs Newlove for something to be done about feral youths killing decent people like her husband?
When is he going to spend a billion pounds of our tax money tackling that problem???
I understand the impulse to give aid to India but, with many parts of the UK economy heading for a likely recession, where will the money come from?
Many businesses and households in this country are increasingly unable to give as much to charity as they would have done in the past. What right has the Government to ignore the affordablity of these schemes in the light of national economic prospects?
The government is effectively taking control of which good causes are to receive help and taking the personal choice out of charitable donations.
Considering how many British jobs are being "outsourced" to India (Aviva, BT, etc), what on earth is Gordon Brown doing giving them development aid?
Last time when Mr.Brown was in India and when he met the people of urban India, they wouldn't have much known about who he was. But now, after the British Prime minister promised financial aid to the poorest states of Bihar, people all over the country would know who he was
I do hope no one is being utterly cynical about the UK giving aid to a country that is relatively wealthy. After all Chavez gave oil to poor Americans.
Britain is nothing like the worlds oldest democracy. The Isle of Man and Switzerland were democracies long before Britain was. The title "Mother of Parliaments" given to Westminster is because it has given birth to so many other Parliaments (US Congress, Australia, India, Kenya - oops, Zimbabwe - double oops, etc, etc).