Monday 9 March 2009

Sent by: Gwenllian Hughes, PA/Admin - gwen@elainesden.org)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Should Gordon Brown be putting his own house in order before he visits Obama?
By Elaine Sihera*(Author of "Managing the Diversity Maze" and founder of the British Diversity Awards)
Today Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister of Britain, makes a much publicised trip to visit President Obama of the United States. The opposition Tory party is leading by an average of 12 points in the polls just now, sympathy for its leader, David Cameron, is also at record high because of the sudden and tragic death of his disabled six year old son last week; the bailout of the banks, especially when one of its chief executives will be getting £693,000 ($930,000) annual pension after leaving his bank in such parlous state, is fuelling fierce debate in the country, and the waning appeal of the Labour Party itself means that this trip couldn't come at a better time for Mr Brown himself. For a few days, at least, he will be able to bask in the reflected glory of America's newest wonderkid, sending the kind of signals back home, especially to mixed society, of sharing the President's objectives, values and ethics. Gordon Brown might have placed an emphasis on discussing economic issues with the President, but for him and his Party, there are more pressing matters back home which the trip is hoped to influence: like the Party's re-election after three terms already. Elections have to be held by May of 2010, but can be held at the discretion of the ruling Party anytime before then. So we are on a kind of ongoing 'election alert' where every visit and every trip is crucial in the fight for votes, and no trip is as important as this one because of America's tremendous achievement in electing its first Black president. But Labour isn't where it is at. The Labour Party has lost its way, being rather backward with technology, with welcoming new ideas and reluctant to engage the public in real discussions on anything that is not stage managed. It means that they end up listening to the same old voices and remain in the same old pickle, being in great danger of losing the plot altogether.There are two important areas that Gordon Brown needs to sort before he takes his place beside Barack Obama, if he really wants to be taken seriously. They are transparency in his own backyard and the invisibility of minorities. Continued on ....http://britbrat-cyprah.blogspot.com/2009/03/should-gordon-brown-be-putting-his-own.html

GFM Radio presents the usual Monday Explo's Political Talk Show on MONDAY 9 MARCH at 7pm (London time). Log on to www.gfmradio. com from 7pm (London time) to 9pm (London time).

We continue with the programme - Nkrumaism Since 24th February 1966 - Opportunism and Infantile Disorder Fantasies.

The programme will be introduced by Selassie Mawuenyega, Deputy Editor of Kilombo Pan-African Journal.

Our guest will be Yaw Asare Adu-Otu, Commander-in- Chief of CPP Crabs Committee and Member of CPP Coalition USA.

The host as usual is Explo Nani-Kofi, Managing Editor of Kilombo Pan-African Journal.

There may be another guest from Cameroun but that is yet to be finalised.
------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------