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Gordon Brown visits Auschwitz
Joe Murphy28.04.09
Gordon Brown was today visiting the former Nazi death camps at Auschwitz.
The Prime Minister was to lay a wreath at the spot where at least 1.1 million people were murdered on Hitler's orders.
Mr Brown was due to spend two hours at the site in a semi-private visit after formal talks with Polish premier Donald Tusk and president Lech Kaczynski, covering the deployment of 2,000 Polish troops in Afghanistan.
Mr Brown's four-day foreign tour was overshadowed by an apparent snub by Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari who pulled out of a joint press conference in Islamabad after the Prime Minister described his country as a "breeding ground" for terrorists.
Reader views (14)
Let's get this right. Brown is given an economics lesson by the Polish Leader, who states that Poland had behaved responsibly, its bank supervision had been effective and it had not lived beyond its means.
"The Polish government behaved with full responsibility in terms of public funds and the budget deficit," he said.
The Polish leader asks for international funds (120m Euro) to maintain Auswitz.
Profligate Brown offers UK funds.... which we will presumbly first have to borrow, and then pay interest upon.
Brown appears to have failed the Polish economic exam question.
- John, Dorset, UK
Please make him stay away until the elections. When he is here he does more harm than good.
- John Smith, London , England
Dont let him out of the country, every time he goes out he gives more money away that we have not got
- Tony Smith, Birmingham England
Gordon Brown cuts a sorry figure as he flails around seeking diversionary tatics.
- Dudley Wood, Stradbroke England
Does this so-called PM think his popularity could be enhanced by making this ludicrous trip?
We all know that he is just getting away whilst poo-labour sorts out their illegal expenses.
PS: Did Brown travel alone or are tax payers obliged to pay for all his other useless baggage?
- Hilary, Germany
This visit to Auschwitz comes at a very odd time and I am saddened that the PM appears to be using this as a diversionary tactic. We have more than enough to occupy his time in the UK and he ought to be here facing the music with the rest of his colleagues.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK
Why can't he do that sort of thing in his (very lengthy) holidays, like the rest of us?
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
I hope he thinks very hard about how the civilised German state once descended to such depths in less than twenty years.
Because thanks to his own government's surveillance technology and legislation, it wouldn't take twenty years today. He wants all of us in a database, finger- and DNA-printed. He wants everyone's little telephone and e-mail secrets and indiscretions logged and never forgotten. He wants to make us all hostages to the good intentions of all future UK governments. The lesson of Auschwitz is that one cannot take such good intentions for granted.
- Nigel, London
Look at the state of the country, but you are still travelling to save the world. So, do us all a favour and take your next trip to Mexico.
- K Lee, Cheshunt, UK
Another ego trip, more photo "opportunities" that are carefully staged - and what exactly is achieved by this showboating exercise? Meanwhile U.K. plc is in meltdown with thousands of jobs lost each week, old established companies closing down and a government that is in office but not in power. No policies, no strategies - other than prolonging their wretched time at the Command & Control Centre in the Downing Street bunker.
Brown should be acting in the best interests of the country - that means sitting down with the Conservatives to map out an orderly transition of power at the very earliest opportunity.
- Ex-Pat David, Cape Town, South Africa
This country is in severe crisis, the mood of the electorate one of utter outrage at recent government scandals - and this buffoon again jets off around the world at tax payers' expense. We don't want him as prime minister but we sure as hell have to pay his salary. At the very least he should be in Westminster concentrating on cleaning up the cess pit that parliament has become.
- R.F., Yorks, UK
What on earth is the PM going abroad for at a time when the Country is in a diabolical financial state of affairs.Auschwitz should be remembered,but at certain times,not when it pleases Leaders TO SPEND more of the Tax Payers money.This PM is the laughing stock of World Leaders,on the surface he is greeted with respect,but,beneath and hidden from view they are not so polite.Wake up PM your days are numbered and the Leaders of other countries know this
- European, Hong Kong China
No doubt he will then try to turn his visit into a 'it must never happen again' spin and try to deflect his non evident leadership.
- Mike, London England
the only thing worse than Crash attempting to run the country (what a joke) is when he wastes even more money going overseas so he can be even more inept there.
- Marianne (Uk National And Tax-Payer), SW France
