Now Baroness Shameless race row explodes
A CAMPAIGN to remove the secretary-general of the Commonwealth has sunk into a race row.
Organisation bosses met on Thursday to discuss a report criticising Baroness Scotland over a £250,000 commission to a firm run by Labour peer Lord Patel.
She was supported by envoys from Nigeria and Namibia, who reportedly said that predominantly white member countries did not want a black female leader.
A spokesman for Lord Patel, who served with Lady Scotland in Gordon Brown’s government, claimed yesterday the report was being used to ‘stop the Commonwealth’s first black leader being re-elected’.
One diplomat said allies of Lady Scotland were playing ‘the Meghan card’ – referring to claims that criticism of the Duchess of Sussex is partly related to her colour.
Opponents of the secretarywant general pointed out previous Commonwealth chiefs have come from Guyana, Nigeria and India. And they said diplomats from South Africa and Ghana have questioned Lady Scotland’s record.
The 64-year-old peer, who has been dubbed ‘Baroness Brazen’ and ‘Baroness Shameless’ over her lavish spending, is fighting to be reappointed when her four-year term expires in April.
A majority of Commonwealth leaders have said they do not to confirm a second term and instead she has been given a three-month extension until a summit in Rwanda in June.
She has always denied any wrongdoing.
Boris Johnson is said to be backing moves to persuade Amina Mohamed, a 58-yearold Kenyan politician, to challenge Lady Scotland if she refuses to stand down.
A diplomatic source said the UK, Australia and Canada led the criticism at Thursday’s crisis meeting of the Commonwealth’s governing body.
‘They pushed hard but there was resistance from Lady Scotland’s allies in the Caribbean,’ the source said. ‘The meeting was going against her until the end, when Nigeria and Namibia rallied behind her after the race card was played.’
New Zealand has already withheld its annual grant of nearly £2million to the secretariat as it has ‘no confidence’ in Lady Scotland. Australia is believed to be considering withholding £4million. Canada has refused to reinstate funds withdrawn in 2013.