Boycotting Mugabe is right

Gordon Brown is absolutely right to boycott the Lisbon summit over the European Union's disgraceful decision to invite Robert Mugabe. If the EU were really serious about African development, they would not invite the demagogue whose policies have turned what was once the bread-basket of Africa into its basket-case, and whose contribution to any discussion about Africa's future must be worse than useless. Bronwen Maddox put the case well in this morning's Times. Instead of making fatuous comments, the EU President, Jose Manuel Barroso should take responsibility for ensuring that when the EU introduces sanctions, they are upheld. It is good to see the Czechs upholding EU values too - they know enough about appeasement having experienced it in 1938 and 1968: it is somewhat dispiriting that nobody else could bring themselves to do so too.