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PM not attending Olympics opening | PM not attending Olympics opening |
(10 minutes later) | |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown will not attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Downing Street says. | |
However, he will be at the closing ceremony when the Olympic baton will be passed to London. | |
A spokeswoman said Mr Brown had never planned to attend the ceremony and was not boycotting the Games. | |
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown "seems to do the right thing late in the day when he is forced to do so because of public opinion". | Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said Mr Brown "seems to do the right thing late in the day when he is forced to do so because of public opinion". |
Mr Clegg, speaking to Channel Four News, branded the move a "last-minute U-turn". | |
The Olympics minister Tessa Jowell will represent the UK at the opening in Beijing in August. | |
Under pressure | |
Mr Brown - who has been under pressure to boycott the Olympics over China's human rights record - has never specifically said he will attend the opening ceremony. | |
However he has talked of attending plural "ceremonies". | |
On 27 March, at a press conference during France's President Sarkozy's visit, he said: "We will not be boycotting the Olympic Games; Britain will be attending the Olympic Games ceremonies. | |
"At the same time, the president has said that the Dalai Lama has not called for a boycott of the Olympic Games." | |
At his Downing Street news conference on 1 April, Mr Brown said: "I think President Sarkozy said himself that he expected Britain, because we are going to host the next Olympics, to be present at the Olympic ceremonies and I will certainly be there." | |
The torch's visit to London was disrupted by anti-China protesters | |
It comes as the Olympic torch arrives in San Francisco under tight security for the sixth leg of its round-the-world relay. | |
Barricades have been set up and streets sealed off close to the planned relay route. Police leave has been cancelled. | |
Protests have already caused serious disruption to legs in London and Paris. In Paris, the torch had to be extinguished three times, while in London there were 37 arrests. | |
Mr Brown attracted controversy for receiving the Olympic torch outside 10 Downing Street, although he did not hold it. | |
Most demonstrators are protesting over a security crackdown in Tibet after anti-Chinese unrest. | |
Tibetan exile groups say Chinese security forces killed dozens of protesters. Beijing says about 19 people were killed in rioting. |