MP tackles Big Brother 'racism'

MP tackles Big Brother 'racism'
MP tackles Big Brother 'racism' (Image credit: EMPICS)

Labour MP Keith Vaz has tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons about the treatment of Celebrity Big Brother contestant Shilpa Shetty. Mr Vaz said members of his Leicester East constituency had contacted him about alleged racism on the Channel 4 show. The early day motion (EDM) reads: "This House views with concern the comments made about Big Brother contestant Shilpa Shetty by other housemates; believes that Big Brother has a role to play in preventing racist behaviour in the Big Brother house; regrets that these comments have been made; and calls on the programme to take urgent action to remind housemates that racist behaviour is unacceptable." EDMs are used by MPs to highlight an issue and appear on the Commons Order Paper each day. Mr Vaz said: "I have been contacted by constituents who have expressed concern that apparently racist comments in the Big Brother house have passed without any response from the Big Brother programme. "We would not tolerate this kind of racism on other types of television programme and we should not do so on a programme that is watched by millions of people." It is not the first time Celebrity Big Brother has been mentioned in the Commons. Last January, Labour MP Chris Bryant questioned how contestant George Galloway had managed to sign a series of Early Day Motions while locked up in the Big Brother house. Speaker Michael Martin later cleared him of any wrongdoing.

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