BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY LECTURED ON EVILS OF ALCOHOLISM

BORIS JOHNSON TAKES CAMPAIGN TO SIKH TEMPLE

Boris Johnson was told off by some Sikhs for talking about whiskey trade  CREDIT:ANDREW PARSONS / I-IMAGES


The latest effort of Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, to gain more votes for his party in the forthcoming general elections has backfired.  On the campaign trail, he was visiting a Sikh temple in Bristol.  Mr Johnson was quick to regale his audience with details of government plans to end tariffs on whisky between the UK and India.

Hear Mr Johnson, ''What are the consequences of having so many Sikh relatives, and I hope I am not embarrassing anybody, is that whenever we go to India, to Mumbai or to Delhi, we have to bring 'clinkie' in our luggage.  We have to bring Johnny Walker or we have to bring Whisky because as you know there is a duty of 150 per cent in India on scotch whisky. But imagine what we could do if there was a free trade deal with India - which there will be.  You are talking hundreds of millions of pounds of new exports.''

Mr Johnson's listeners were, however, amazed and saddened.  A Sikh voter who was present said, ''How dare you talk about alcohol in a Sikh temple?''  She went on to inform the Foreign Secretary about the damage that alcoholism has caused in her family.

Worshipper Balbir Kaur also spoke of her displeasure.  She said, ''You have just said that the main objective is to get the trade between India and England and the basis of that is alcohol which is in Sikhism against our religion so I wouldn't be wanting to put somebody in power who wants to put more alcohol in India which is causing lots of problems at the moment,''

The Foreign Secreatry Boris Johnson campaigning at Sikh Temple in Bristol CREDIT:ANDREW PARSONS / I-IMAGES