Jowell rejects Olympics boycott

Olympics minister Tessa Jowell has again rejected calls for the government to boycott ceremonial events at the Beijing Games.

She was speaking ahead of Sunday's Olympic torch relay through London, an event dogged by Free Tibet protestors.

Gordon Brown has also come under criticism for welcoming the torch at Downing Street, with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg saying it was "wholly inappropriate" for the prime minister to take part.

But Jowell told Sky News's Sunday Live programme: "It is absolutely not an endorsement of the Chinese government or any aspects of the Chinese government that in this country we find completely unacceptable.

"This is an endorsement of the Olympics, what the Olympics mean to athletics, to sport around the world, the principles that the Olympics stand for.

"It is not an endorsement of the politics of China."

Appearing later on BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend as clashes between police and protestors marred the torch relay, Jowell said it would have been a "great mistake" not to have gone ahead with the event.

She said: "I hope the message that will go round the world is that, yes, there are many citizens of the UK who feel very strongly about China's human rights record, there are many people in the UK who feel very strongly about the importance of dialogue with the Dalai Lama, and that in the UK we cherish the right to lawful and peaceful protest which, by and large, is what we have seen today."