Pressure grows on Flouquet to resign his post
Friday 28th November 2008, 1:00PM GMT.
DEPUTY Chief Minister Bernard Flouquet’s position was looking increasingly untenable yesterday.
A letter has been signed by 16 States members calling on him to consider his position following a racist joke told at a press conference last week.
There are also pledges from 17 more deputies that they would be contacting him along similar lines.
Deputy Flouquet (pictured) has been given a deadline of Sunday to decide what to do.
If he does not stand down, he will probably face a vote of no confidence.
The letter-signing was led by Leon Gallienne.
‘Come Monday, if he does not come back with what we see as an honourable conclusion, I almost certainly believe the next stage forward would be to take a vote of no confidence in him,’ said Deputy Gallienne.
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Have these idiots got nothing better to do than keep hounding this man? He made a stupid joke at a really stupid time. Big deal!! How about you people get on with running the island instead of wasting all your time with this trivial matter. If everyone who made a tasteless remark or joke had to resign from their job, there wouldn’t be many people left working at all. The embarrassment he’s had from all this attention is punishment enough.
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David G, are you some kind of idiot? I think the point is that most people in important and or distinguished positions who make tasteless remarks are forced to pay the consequences, and why should a pompus deputy minister be any different?
I’d also suggest to you that racial stereotype isn’t so much “stupid” but in fact a pretty serious issue
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He is an embarassment to the Island. He made a gross error of judgement. Do you know the provenance of the term ‘golliwog’? Do you know what it stands for?
If he made a joke about Jews would it be acceptable? If he made a joke about ‘slitty eyes’ would that be acceptable?
Would he have made the joke if there was a black person in the room?
Cowardly, casual racism has no place in modern politics.
If he insulted disabled people, or mentally ill people in public, hmm?
The list could go on. The fact that people are hellbent on protecting an arrogant man in an untenable situation speaks volume for the amount of education in Guernsey. So much for the 11+.
He should have walked as soon as he opened his mouth. That would have stopped this. Nothing else.
You can bet that if he stays on and it goes to debate, it will be in the national press a lot more. Guernsey is not protected by a time-bubble.
It is the apologists that need to look long and hard at their motives.
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Flouquet has no choice but to resign, in spite of what he and his pompous power-mad ignorant supporters in the States think. The very fact that he doesn’t even seem to REALISE how untenable his situation now is has simply served to compound the initial faux pas.
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Guernsey does not need you now and has never needed you before. You are excess baggage in our Government with the judgment of a three year old.
For gods sake just go.
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It is a gross misjudgement on the part of our CM to have not acted swiftly and competently to deal with the ignorant, racist remarks made by his second-in-command, Mr Flouquet.
I have met no-one who is not completely appalled by Mr Flouquet’s comments and shocked that his resignation was not immediately forthcoming. News of this incident is now global and, at a time when we should be protecting Guernsey’s reputation, this has done us no favours.
Our CM should take the only sensible route and lend his support to the call for Mr Flouquet’s resignation. It is pure damage-limitation. Failure to do so can only result in a vote of no confidence and leave our government in dire straits at a critical point in Guernsey’s history.
Unfortunately, whatever the out outcome, Flouquet’s desperate attempts to cling on to his position have already reaped far too much damage.
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Isn’t the sad joke he should consider his resignation over coming up with repairs to the airport that balooned from £60m to £80m in less than a year?
In the private sector budgeting can usually get it down to the nearest few hundred thousand. Mickey Mouse States Depts fail miserably both to get their quotes wrong or projects in on budget anywhere near the contract price.
Typical of the States to get in a tiz over minor issues while taxpayers being screwed gets no attention whatsoever!
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Look’s like the joke has backfired with spectacular effect. Who is laughing now Deputy First Minister?
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What ever happened to freedom of speech? How many of those people who are moaning at deputy Flouquets failed attempt at a joke had the same joke sent to them on their mobile phone and laughed? Hypocrites springs to mind.
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Blogger – notice you don’t prove a proper name, that is because my friend you condone racism.
Racism has no place in modern society.
Blogger and Bernard – same first initial.
Blogger, go to the suburbs of London and call the African Carribean ethnic community a bunch of ‘Goliwogs’ and lets see if it is sociably acceptable.
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The more these apologists crawl out from under their stones the more utterly ridiculous they sound.
Freedom of speech? FREEDOM OF SPEECH? What idiot is citing that as an excuse? Do you have no concept of how freedom of speech has become a human right? Is Guernsey really this uneducated?
Quite, quite shocking that someone could be bothered to type that.
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I quote from article 10 of the ECHR:
1. Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. this right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
2. The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or the rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.
One of the defining features of article 10 is that it CANNOT be abused by purveyors of racist comments. In any court of law Mr Flouquet’s comments would be deemed racist. Quite frankly I have had enough of the rantings of racist apologists and hope that people take a few minutes to think about the implications of what they are saying. And remember that this forum can be accessed by anyone, anywhere in the world. Do you want to cement Guernsey’s already shoddy reputation by continuing with this nonsense?
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Thank you Belinda. Never cease to be educated in these columns.
In the age we are now, ease of communication across the globe can be our enemy especially as Guernsey at this moment is trying to exude perfection in all it does. What use is the effort if the tolerated government appears to be flawed. If Deputies are, by and large, terrified to express their opinion to their electorate what does this auger for the rest of the term. In this we must be very disappointed at the newcomers to the States voted in with so much hope of forthrightness and open government.
Is it not true that the deputy’s own words at any rate comprising his apology to his peers should have demonstrated to himself and even his apologists that in effect he was describing a person with spontaneous characteristics totally unsuited for membership of our historic chamber let alone a position of leadership. Is he not too long in the tooth to learn by his mistakes.
I do have some sympathy for him. How many strive for positions for which they are blindly unaware they are quite inadequate to fill. Others dream but selfknowledge prevents them wasting their time. Perhaps he now realises this?? If he does not surely his peers should do his thinking for him.
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Belinda
Whilst your quotes from the Human Rights Directive are imoportant the interpretaion is not so sound.
The Commission for Racial Equality have said the question of whether golliwogs were considered racist depended on the context in which they were displayed.
The same would apply to the context of the joke.
It should be appreciated that golly dolls are openly on sale in the UK. The word gollyog or golliwog, whichever spellong you prefer, has become common once more.
The hostility and indignation shown in these threads is not shared by the authorities.
The fact is the circumstances might or might not be seen by a court.
It is not an given fact that any prosecution woould succeed. In fact the weight of opinion suggest it would be seen as a silly and stupid joke and not a racial act.
A prosecution would bluntly depend on the particular personal view of the magistrate as to whether the remark was racist nor not.
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So Ray and Mr Haines get their pathetic attempts at apologising for friendly Flouquet in the Press today. Casual, ignorant racism is acceptable according to them, as it is funny. Yes that’s right, funny because black people used to be slaves and treated with less dignity than dogs, generally regarded as inferior mentally and with no human rights, funny then to make a toy based on a myth that black people were ‘grinning picaninnies’, so funny that it took centuries for them even to be acknowledged as human beings.
The nonchalance that these letter writers exude speaks volumes. What’s worse, I bet they go to church and sing to God of their righteousness.
Old, bitter men who have seen nothing of the race issues that have burned their way through history.
They call Flouquet’s detractors ‘narrow minded’ yet they have the temerity to be offended by the public’s rightful outrage. Grow up old men and read some books with facts in.
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Stephen John. I think that you will find that referring to a person as a golliwog because of the colour of their skin would be construed as racist as has been quoted in “The Voice”
“I find it appalling that any organisation in this day and age can produce anything which would commemorate the Golliwog. It is an offensive caricature of Black people.”
If “golliwog” is so inoffensive, why were they removed from the Noddy books? Why was there a desperate attempt at rebranding as “Gollys”
People have been threatened with prosecution for selling soft toys styled as “golliwogs”. They are very rarely “openly on sale” as you say – many shops have been forced to withdraw them or face prosecution following complaints from members of the public.
I think that the evidence is pretty strong that golliwog is a racially offensive term, a racially offensive image and stand by my previous comments.
Numerous complaints have been made about the sale of golliwogs and a recent quote from the equality and human rights commission gave the following statement just a few weeks ago.
“The issue of golliwogs is offensive to many people; not least because they have associations with slavery and are seen as a patronising representation of black people.
“Any business or organisation should take this into account when deciding to sell or display such items.
“They are not mere toys, and can cause offence to people from all communities,”
And as to the spelling issue…the original spelling was “golliwog”. “Wog” began to be used as a racially offensive term so there was an attempt at rebranding so the “wog” was dropped, leaving “golly”.
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Belinda
Your original comment was “In any court of law Mr Flouquet’s comments would be deemed racist”.
I was pointing out that this is not so automatic as you were suggesting. I referred to The Commission for Racial Equality having said the question of whether golliwogs were considered racist depended on the context in which they were displayed.
I suggest the same would apply to the context of the joke.
The Golly dolls are openly sold and I would refer you to the CRE statement above. This is why you haven’t seen any prosecutions.
20 years ago the scenario you describe would have been the norm but today there is a more liberal approach to the word and the dolls.
At the end of the day any prosecution would depend on the context and have to prove racist intent. Very different from the strict liabilty you suggest.
This issue is very emotive and there are many who see the word and whatever context as being racist. However, the use of the word and selling of golliwog dolls is not automatically racist.
Bernard Floquet is still a plonker for failing to see that he would upset a lot of people and seeing it as a very funny joke. But convict him, racist behaviour has to be proved and not assumed.
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Our DCM’s comment was most definately racist! What is more damaging is the fact that he wished to discredit the US President. At a time when they wish to check out our business dealings with regards to unfair tax avoidance and our other questionable wheeler dealings in finance.
My advice to DCM is that if he did remain in office, which he won’t, we would be dictated to by the US. This turns the racist comment on it head.
I reckon that the US clamping down on our kind of business will put us near the top of that list and they will do all they can to make business as difficult as possible.
What accord will our CM have with Obama when he supports the efforts of hs racist DCM? I wonder how accomodating the White House would be towards further Guernsey delegates
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Some times if find it very worrying to call myself Guernsey man..
BF tells bad joke and announced costs have jumped up 25 million pounds that the tax payer going to have to pay..
And what does the whole Islands worry about…… The bad joke
I’m wonder if this man is just very clever and we’re the dozy donkey’s
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Stephen John
The very fact that the DCM tried to validate his racist remark by saying that he found it amusing at the time steers anybody to conclude that he is racist.
This man is receiving the attention that he deserves. Good. Our CM will be next in that line up for mitigating what he said and taking no action! Just another case of back scratching within the states.
A message to those that are pointing their finger at the media for blowing this out of proportion ITS THEIR JOB TO. The same as it is our politicians to foster relations or lack of them in this case.
I bet flouquet is not quite as amused with his thoughts now!
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Whilst accepting that Bernard Floquet was an idiot in repeating a joke the law requires intent to convict someone.
It is a subjective assessment on whether the comment was racist or not. Even the CRE is cautious of automaticaly labelling someone a racist. They say it depends on the context.
Are all those in Guernsey who have received, sent and read the emails containing the joke racialists?
Of course not.
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Stephen John – check out the UK Race Relations Act (as amended) and the interpretation of the Act by UK judges. You will find that intent is not needed, merely the reliance on a person’s race/nationality etc to cause offence. “Ignorance” to the potential offence would never be a valid defence or everyone accused of racism would just plead what good old Bernie did that “they just honestly thought it was funny”
And by the way, your quotes are REALLY out of date because the “commission for racial equality” became the equality and human rights commission (as I quoted) in 2007!
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Stephen John
Whilst thinking that you were an intelligent man you come across as an old fool! Intent and intentions work with themselves hand in hand. Some of our elected are only in it to reap what they can get away with and take from it.
If you and anyone can honestly say that we are being led by intelligent people that wish to make a difference then I will happily listen to those views. I am sat on completely the opposite side of the fence and judging by the majority of these threads most others are actually.
With regards to commenting on my threads without naming me why is this the case exactly? I don’t bite! Like you I am opinionated but I also am entitled to be so!
We can’t be led by fools and expect to be respected! As far as i’m concerned this is a luxury that is earn’t!
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Getting very very borning now.
And should be left too the powers that be now..
Please guys it’s time to give up the witch hunting now
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Belinda.
It’s a funny old thing but I don’t know if you’ve noticed..
But were not in the England. So prosecuting some one under English law doesn’t really work that weel here in the Guernsey Court.
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Melec
I agree this is getting boring now! The very fact that the powers that be are failing to show any action over this miigates everybodys inclusion.
This won’t be swept under the carpet until a satisfactory conclusion is reached. If you are bored by this then don’t bother to comment!
All the people are wanting is the loose cannons boosted out of their positions. Then we may be able to start looking towards a prouctive future!
I, along with most, wish to see DCM and CM gone!
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Melec
I’m not hunting any witches. Just goading the apologists and seeing how many people are out there that think ignorance in a public position and as Deputy Chief Minister is acceptable.
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Me. I was using the Act to demonstrate the kind of definitions that are used. Guernsey is a very small jurisdiction with limited case law on which to draw, so UK law is persuasive. If you read any of the local law reports you will UK Statute and case law referred to regularly and treated as persuasive. So no, of course someone wouldn’t be prosecuted under UK law, but definitions contained within UK statutes, if absent from Guernsey law, may well be used.
It’s all beside the point really….BF has not committed an offence per se – unless someone chose to complain that his use of language caused them personal offence. I was illustrating the fact that the choice of words would be construed as racist.
All I have done in all my posts is to point out that the comments used by BF would be deemed racist IF there was a prosecution case in a court of law. As no criminal offence was committed (Barack Obama wasn’t there to be personally insulted thank goodness!) it is a moot point.
And to be honest your silly comments serve only to highlight your ignorance and lack of any real argument against the case that I and so many others have made.
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Hurrah for Belinda. Keep up the good work – we need more people like you on this island to stamp on ignorant bigots and their convoluted claptrap.
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Belinda.
I must be honest you don’t haft spend time and energy some writing this stuff..
Rgs Me.
Ps. I’m a local fisherman.
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It is very simple. BF is a public representative. By his comments he has damaged the reputation of Guernsey and potentially put the prosperity of the people of this island at risk. If he will not resign he should be dismissed from public office. I don’t know the man, he may be a real saint for all I know, but his arrogant refusal to do the ‘decent’ thing reflects badly on him and the office he represents.
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