Former British politician John Taylor calls Leo Varadkar “typical Indian.”
Posted By: May 01, 2018
IRISH CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING
Distributed by Irish National Caucus
“Ordinary folk in Scotland, Wales and, England have mostly given up to holding on to the racist British Empire pathology.
But sadly, there are still some holdouts in Northern Ireland. A section of the Unionist/Loyalist/ Protestant community has never fully rejected the discredited inglorious British-Empire thinking.
As the attached Irish Mirror article again reminds us, former unionist MP John Taylor seems to have a real problem with the fact that the new, impressive Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, whose father is from India.
Winston Churchill appallingly personified the British Empire racist attitude toward India: “I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion . . . Let the Viceroy sit on the back of a giant elephant and trample Gandhi into the dirt.”—Fr. Sean Mc Manus.
It’s at least the second time the ex-Ulster Unionist MP has described the Taoiseach with a racial term.
Brynmor Pattison. Irish Mirror. Dublin. Monday, April 30, 2018
A former Ulster Unionist politician has been labeled racist after calling Taoiseach Leo Varadkar a “typical Indian.”
John Taylor, who now calls himself Lord Kilclooney, replied to a BBC Newsline post on Twitter that linked to an article about the DUP decrying the Fine Gael leader’s “poor manners” during a visit to Northern Ireland.
He tweeted simply: “Typical Indian.”
A host of people replied to the post, with one describing it as “appalling” and “shameful.”
Mr. Taylor added to the post by tweeting: “You fail to understand that racially he is half Indian and legally he is Irish.
“Some day you will learn to know the difference in these terms.
“The Indians are a great race, and I know as a Member of the British/Indian APPG helping Indians almost daily.”
When a person asked how Mr. Varadkar was a “typical” Indian, he replied: “He does not understand how provocative he is to unionists. Irish politicians mostly know better, and that is why we were able to have the Belfast Agreement.”
Mr. Taylor further accused Mr. Varadkar of “damaging North/South relations by being provocative several times to the Unionist Community in Northern Ireland.”
He also posted: “It is not racially abusive as he himself has confirmed he is half Indian. That is great and not to be dismissed as the Indians are a great race.
“However he has damaged North/South relations by being continually offensive and provocative to the Unionist majority in N Ireland.”
Mr. Taylor also added: “You should not reject established practice when a foreign politician enters the UK. The Irish PM does not recognize the damage he continues to do to NorthSouth Relations by his provocative actions!”
The life peer landed in hot water last November when he described Mr. Varadkar as “the Indian” in another tweet.
He tweeted: “Simon Coveney is stirring things up. Very dangerous nonstatesman like role! Clearly hoping to undermine the Indian.”
Fine Gael Senator Catherine Noone soon called out the post and replied: “Disgraceful comment John. Leo is 100% Irish as you well know. The mind boggles.
Lord Kilclooney said: “In which way is he 100 percent Irish??”
Ms. Noone replied: “Please go back to the 1800’s.”
In other posts explaining the tweet, the life peer claimed the offensive nickname was “shorthand for an Indian surname which I could not spell.”
He added: “I should have said PM and not used Indian as shorthand for his name which I must learn to spell correctly.”
