PPP UK branch complains to TV station, broadcast regulator about host’s treatment of Pres Ali

Last Updated on Friday, 22 September 2023, 16:04 by Denis Chabrol

The United Kingdom (UK) branch of Guyana’s governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has formally protested the manner in which the host of Good Morning Britain (GMB) treated President Irfaan Ali during a televised interview.

According to the formal complaint dispatched to ITV and copied to OFCOM, the UK’s broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, the PPP UK branch expressed its deep concern that GMB host Richard Madeley “physically banged his desk, spoke with disrespect and contempt in choice of words and tone of voice” to Dr Ali as they discussed reparation by the UK government and others to the descendants of Africans who had been enslaved by Britain and other European nations.

Questioning whether Mr Madeley had broken ITV’s code of conduct when interviewing a Head of State, the PPP UK branch asked the TV station and the host to apologise to the Guyanese leader. “We demand that there be imposed an immediate restraint against such an atrocity ever being repeated and an unambiguous public apology by both ITV and Richard Madeley personally to the President of the Republic of Guyana,” according to the complaint signed by the Secretary of the PPP UK Branch, Dr Sundat Balkaran.

Meanwhile, PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo also weighed on the manner in which Madeley interacted with President Ali, saying that pointed to the disdain that was being meted out to Third World leaders. “In the big scheme of things, he (Madeley) doesn’t matter. Third World leaders around the world have always have to deal with these interviewers who have a jaundiced perspective of our countries and President Ali was just the latest in the string of world leaders who have had to deal with this and our President made us proud. He dealt with it appropriately,”

The correspondence was copied to Mr Jagdeo, PPP Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira, Guyana’s High Commissioner to the UK Dr Rajendra Singh, UK Shadow Secretary of State David Lamy and Chairman of the PPP UK Branch Dave Singh.

The UK’s Independent newspaper reported earlier this week that when Madeley questioned why “someone who maybe had an ancestor seven or eight generations ago should… carry the burden” of past actions, Ali replied: “Oh, it’s not a burden at all. You are one of the beneficiaries of that slave trade, so this is not a burden.”

He continued: “You should be concerned and you should pay because you today still benefit from the greatest indignity to the human being, and that is the slave trade. And not only did you benefit during the slave trade, and your country develop, but look at what it cost the developing world.

When Madeley questioned why “someone who maybe had an ancestor seven or eight generations ago should… carry the burden” of past actions, Ali replied: “Oh, it’s not a burden at all. You are one of the beneficiaries of that slave trade, so this is not a burden.”

He continued: “You should be concerned and you should pay because you today still benefit from the greatest indignity to the human being, and that is the slave trade. And not only did you benefit during the slave trade, and your country develop, but look at what it cost the developing world.

Ali, keeping his cool, replied: “Well no, we don’t want the British to hand over a palace that we built.”

While Madeley could be heard laughing at Ali’s answer in the background, the president continued: “If you go to many of the palaces in Britain, you’ll see the lovely hard work from Guyana. You will see the sweat, tears and blood of the slaves who were exploited, and the revenue that was earnt from the exploitation. So we’re not asking for a palace; we’re asking for justice.”

Madeley has since been criticised not only for his questions, but the “vile” and “condescending” manner in which he asked them, and his reaction of slamming his hand on the table and laughing over Ali’s response.

Award-winning musician and film score composer Nitin Sawhney wrote on X/Twitter: “Madeley really is an arrogant, ignorant, patronising piece of work isn’t he? He addressed a president with mocking laughter and aggressive table thumping in response to a request for Britain’s historical exploitation of slave Labour to be acknowledged.”

@L_A_D_J added: ”Richard Madeley, a breakfast news show host, talking down to and mocking the PRESIDENT of another country with a pompous fake laugh. The f***ing disrespect and entitlement is insane.

Meanwhile, @TerrelleGraham wrote: Who does Richard Madeley think he is? Slamming his hand down on the desk and talking to the president of Guyana in such a rude and disrespectful manner. The subject matter of this discussion makes his behaviour even worse.”