Brown's 'great insult' to Poland

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 12:00 AM

By Alice Cannet

Gordon Brown was advised during PMQ to refrain from insulting other European parties as a result of comments he made yesterday about Poland's leading party.

Tory MP Daniel Kawczynski, of Polish descent, said the prime minister's comments on the country's leading party were a "great insult" to the Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, and his electors.

During a Commons statement on the European council yesterday, Mr Brown desribed the Polish Law and Justice party as "extreme right-wing".

At today's PMQ, Mr Kawczynski said: "The prime minister's insult to the Law and Justice Party of Poland yesterday in his European statement is a great insult to the president of Poland who is a member of that party and to the Polish people who elected that party into office.

"No matter what he may think of the Law and Justice party, he must understand that as prime minister of the UK he has a duty to implement basic diplomatic procedures."

But Mr Brown said that the opposition should be more careful in associating with such parties and should look in more detail at the policies of the parties they support.

Phil Wilson, Labour MP for Sedgefield, asked Mr Brown whether the country's leading political parties should really affiliate with such parties.

The prime minister answered: "Isn't it remarkable that the Conservatives have formed an alliance in Europe that excludes the German Christian Democrats, excludes the French party of president Sarkozy, excludes the Italian party of prime minister Berlusconi."

Noisy jeers from the opposition interrupted him but he went on: "They are now isolated on the fringes of Europe."

Today, the prime minister responded to Mr Kawczynski's criticism, saying: "I have very good relationships with the president you're talking about.

"As far as the Polish Law and Justice party, I think the Conservatives should look at the policies of the parties they are having dealings with."

Founded by twins Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski in 2001, Law and Justice has been branded homophobic after Lech Kaczynski banned several gay pride marches and his brother said the "downfall of civilisation" would be caused by homosexuality.

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