We've updated our Privacy and Cookies Policy
We've made some important changes to our Privacy and Cookies Policy and we want you to know what this means for you and your data.
Lord Kilclooney withdraws ‘Indian’ Leo Varadkar tweet
Former senior Ulster Unionist Lord Kilclooney has withdrawn a tweet in which he described Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar as "the Indian".
Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey and Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry both described the tweet as racist.
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter and before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.
End of Twitter content, 1
Top Stories
Lord Kilclooney said the tweet was "not racist" but "shorthand for an Indian surname which I could not spell".
He has since .
"In Twitter one is restricted to a limited number of words and so for shorthand I used the term Indian for the new PM in Dublin," he wrote.
Top Stories
"This has caused upset and misunderstanding and so I withdraw it. I am no way racist and accept that Varadkar is 100 percent Irish Citizen."
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter and before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.
End of Twitter content, 2
Mr Varadkar was born in the Republic and is of Indian heritage.
He was elected taoiseach (Irish prime minster) in June.
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter and before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.
End of Twitter content, 3
Lord Kilclooney issued the tweet on Thursday evening in response to a news story about Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney.
He wrote: "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 word Indian as "shorthand".
Top Stories
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter and before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.
End of Twitter content, 4
Some Twitter users, including ˿ News NI's Mark Carruthers, pointed out that Lord Kilclooney had spelled the taoiseach's name correctly in previous tweets.
Lord Kilclooney responded: "One swallow does not make a summer!!! Previously spellings had been wrong!"
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter and before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.
End of Twitter content, 5
In response to the original tweet, Mr Maskey wrote: "Can't see that comment as anything other than racist?"
. The Taoiseach is just as Irish as Simon Coveney. Let's see if there is the courage and integrity to withdraw this."
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter and before accepting. To view this content choose 'accept and continue'.
End of Twitter content, 6
Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann said on Twitter that Lord Kilclooney was not a member of the party and "speaks for himself".
.
Top Stories
More to explore
Most read
Content is not available