SENIOR Ulster Unionist John Taylor, Lord Kilclooney, has been criticised for a tweet in which he described Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar as "the Indian".
The former MP and MEP has been forced to withdraw the offensive message. Lord Kilclooney's tweet was posted in response to a statement from Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney who said: “I would like to see, if possible, a united Ireland in my lifetime.”
Lord Kilclooney’s tweet read: "Simon Coveney is stirring things up. Very dangerous non statesman like role! Clearly hoping to undermine the Indian."
Afterwards, Mr Kilclooney said that he was unsure of how to spell Mr Varadkar's name and had used the term ‘the Indian’ as ‘shorthand’.
But many Twitter users were quick to point out that Lord Kilclooney had spelled the Taoiseach's name correctly in previous tweets.
Lord Kilclooney was criticised from all sides. Senator Catherine Noone tweeted: “Disgraceful comment John. Leo is 100% Irish as you well know. The mind boggles,” to which Lord Kilclooney replied: “In which way is he 100 per cent Irish??”
Former victims' commissioner Patricia McBride tweeted that she would report Lord Kilclooney's comment to the House of Lords commissioner for standards.
