THE political future of Guernsey’s Deputy Chief Minister hung in the balance this morning after he told a racist joke at a press conference.
Deputy Bernard Flouquet was addressing journalists about work needed at Guernsey Airport when he made the gaffe yesterday. In a bid to lighten the mood, he said that he wanted to share a funny story he had heard. The Deputy said that a request had been received from the United States to use the Queen’s head on stamps. Deputy Flouquet said that in return, and to show its appreciation, the US had agreed to allow Britain to put ‘golliwogs back on jam jars’.
When one of the reporters challenged the Deputy for making the remark and suggested that it was ‘not very PC’, he replied: ‘It is not very PC, but it is still a joke nonetheless.’ The joke clearly embarrassed the civil servant sitting next to him, who puts his head in his hands. And Commerce and Employment Minister Carla McNulty Bauer, who was also sitting with Deputy Flouquet, shook her head.
Deputy Flouquet was initially unrepentant and said that he had ‘honestly found the joke to be humorous’. However, he has since issued an ‘unequivocal apology’ for the joke.
• Picture: Guernsey Deputy Chief Minister Bernard Flouquet (left) at the press conference at which he made the remark. Picture by Peter Frankland (0674429)
Article posted on 21st November, 2008 - 2.56pm
5 Article Comments
Good to see their politicians are as moronic as ours
Report abuse
For christ sake! can we please deal with something that is important, the pc brigade have a lot to answer for.
Report abuse
The ‘PC brigade’ so called, want people to be treated with respect and dignity, how shocking.
People should not stand for public office if they do not respect people from different backgrounds and cannot show that they do not subscribe to racist jokes and the like.
It is clear that there is still a need for some politicians to have equality training.
Report abuse
Go join greenpeace or something and be ashamed
Report abuse
We’ve heard about this mess-up on this side of the pond for the last few days now. Certainly not a good career move for Deputy Bernard Flouquet to crack a comment like that to the media. Where’s his head…?
I wonder what would happen if Gordon Brown or George Bush [or even perhaps the Queen] were to say the same thing.
Maybe Deputy Bernard F. should be packed off to Africa, Pakistan, India or Saudi Arabia to represent the government as an External Affairs Minister….! LOL
Now there’s something to chomp on eh…
Terry Lear, Toronto, Canada
Report abuse