JEBURGH-born MP Ian Davidson has accused the Prince of Wales of political meddling this week over the latter's decision to boycott this summer's Olympics in Beijing, writes Mark Entwistle.
The accusations follow Prince Charles' apparent protest against the Chinese government's human-rights abuses in Tibet, and in comments this week, Mr Davidson warned Prince Charles that his role was not to draft an alternative foreign policy for the U
K.
Prince Charles' stance will be awkward for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose government is eager to share in lucrative trade deals with China.
Mr Brown has already been invited to the Games, but Prince Charles will not travel to China for them.
It is not really surprising, given that Prince Charles is a long-time supporter of the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama.
But Mr Davidson, the Labour MP for Glasgow South West who is a former pupil at secondary schools in Jedburgh and Galashiels, has claimed that the heir to the throne has strayed into politics.
Mr Davidson told the press: "The role of the monarch-to-be is not to create a separate foreign policy for Buckingham Palace.
"This will save the taxpayer a lot of money now that he and his entourage are not going, but I wonder whether he has cleared his political position with the government?"
However, The Free Tibet campaign group, which wrote to the prince urging him not to attend the Games, says human-rights abuses in Tibet have worsened since China was awarded the games in 2001.
After Free Tibet wrote to Prince Charles, the organisation received a letter from his deputy private secretary, Clive Alderton, confirming that the prince would not attend the official games opening.
He wrote: "As you know, His Royal Highness has long taken a close interest in Tibet and indeed has been pleased to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama on several occasions.
"You asked if the Prince of Wales would be attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008. His Royal Highness will not be attending the ceremony."
A Clarence House spokeswoman has since confirmed that Prince Charles had not been invited to the event.
When asked whether Mr Davidson's boss, the Prime Minister, agreed with the prince's stance, a spokesman is reported to have said it was a matter for the prince.
Chinese officials have called for the prince to reconsider his position.
Mr Davidson was unavailable for comment to TheSouthern before we went to press yesterday.
The full article contains 424 words and appears in Southern Reporter newspaper.
