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Tory goes to a fancy-dress party as Mandela...and ends up in racism inquiry
Last updated at 20:22pm on 28.03.07A Tory councillor who hosted a fancy-dress party as Nelson Mandela says he thought he was merely paying tribute to a historic figure.
But Brian Gordon has been accused of "thinly-veiled racism" and is facing demands for his sacking because he blacked his face for the role.
The Commission for Racial Equality has launched an investigation following a complaint by a Liberal Democrat colleague on Barnet Council in North London.
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Made up: Barnet councillor Brian Gordon dresses as Nelson Mandela. He sent the picture to a newspaper
The private party was to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim. Mr Gordon's outfit consisted of a Dashiki shirt, a necklace of black beads and traditional African hat.
He was so pleased with it that he sent a photograph of himself as Mandela to his local newspaper - causing the row.
In a statement, the councillor, who is in his 50s, claimed he was wellknown for dressing up as world leaders and to miss out the former South African president would in itself be discriminatory.
"I am amazed that one or two people are becoming so worked up over a fancy-dress outfit that was no more than a piece of harmless fun.
"For several years on Purim, a traditional time for dressing up, I have taken on the guise of a range of famous personalities, including President Reagan, Boris Yeltsin, Ariel Sharon and Sir Ian Blair.
"They are people for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration, as I do for Nelson Mandela.
"The last thing I have ever intended at this festive time was to cause offence, and if I did on this occasion then I sincerely apologise.
"However, I am sure that anyone with a modicum of humour will view this rather bizarre matter in its proper perspective." The CRE, which is acting on a complaint from Lib Dem Stieve De Lance, said it was "unacceptable" for elected representatives to behave in a way that might offend.
A spokesman said: "Is it really too much to ask that celebrities and politicians engage their brains before they walk out of the door? Councillors must be aware of the potential impact of their behaviour.
"Good council leadership is essential in managing the differences in our increasingly diverse communities as councils have a duty to promote good race relations." Miss De Lance, who has also reported Mr Gordon to Barnet council's director of corporate governance, is calling for him to be "unceremoniously sacked".
She said: "I was gobsmacked when I saw the picture. How can he think this is funny or acceptable? It is thinly-veiled racism. You cannot make jokes like this."
Labour MP Keith Vaz, chair of Labour's ethnic minority task force, said: "This sort of behaviour is shockingand completely unacceptable."
A source close to Mr Gordon, who has been a councillor in Barnet for the last nine years, said he had fallen foul of the "politically correct lobby" who could not take a joke.
"There's nothing racist about it at all. Brian couldn't do Nelson without blacking up, just as Nelson couldn't do Brian without using white make-up."
Barnet's Tory council leader, Mike Freer, said: "I accept that blacking-up is fraught with difficulties and has all sorts of historical connotations. But this wasn't blacking-up like the Black and White Minstrel shows.
"This is Brian Gordon dressing up as a world leader who happens to be black."
Reader views (11)
Here's a sample of the latest views published. You can click view all to read all views that readers have sent in.
This is all part of the same craziness that allows and demands promotion of black issues but not British issues and totally trashes anything that has any remote possibility of relating to a dare I say it 'white' issue.
I believe the intent was honorable and should be taken in context with previous characters he has portrayed.
- Karen, Northampton
Hilarious news article, pure Day Today.
- Stephen, Bury
If a black man dressed up as a famous Jewish person, wearing a kippah, a flake beard and traditional Jewish clothing for a LAUGH and a ‘BIT OF FUN’, don’t you think some Jewish people may feel offended? Especially if was supposed to be funny?
Anyway, what’s so funny about dressing up as Mandela? Perhaps Cllr Gordon can explain the joke to us.
I must say, I’m sure Cllr Gordon didn’t mean any offence but how daft can one get! What a dim-wit, especially for sending the picture to the paper! He asked for all this!
- Ms. Richardson, Barnet
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