A teenage mixed race man has hit out at the “juvenile” messages he has received since he announced he was standing as a UUP candidate for Mid Ulster.

Whilst some Twitter users have warned of Muslim domination and called for him to leave for Pakistan, Jay Basra was born in Magherafelt General Hospital and is a Presbyterian.

He is a 19-year-old politics is student at Queen’s University Belfast, who also works at Tom Elliott’s constituency office in Dungannon.

He describes himself as Punjabi-British.

placeholder image — Jay Basra flyer for the next General Election

Since he announced he was standing as the party’s candidate in Mid Ulster in the next General Election on May 7, he has had a number of racial jibes aimed at him online, with some wondering why a “foreigner” should have a say in Northern Ireland, and others questioning how he can be a unionist given Britain’s imperial history.

He told the News Letter such remarks was “juvenile” – then added that, in fact, he “wouldn’t even expect from a child”.

He said that he joined the UUP upon turning 17, because his family had always been UUP supporters.

His mother is from Cookstown (where he grew up) and his father is from Phagwara in north-west India (not Pakistan); he migrated to Scotland around the late 1990s to work with his uncle, then later moved to Northern Ireland.

Mr Basra said he never gets racial abuse in person, only on Twitter.

When one comment about “Muslims running the show” was put to him, he said: “I’m a Presbyterian.” His home congregation is Orritor, just outside Cookstown.

As for the general election, he said: “I just want to do the best I can for the constituency.

"It’s not as if I was put up as a token candidate because of my skin colour or anything like that.

"I was fully backed by the association to run as a candidate. It wasn’t as if it came out of nowhere.

"I wanted to run so I could give young unionism a voice as well.

"People always say ‘where are the young candidates within unionism?’ And when you do run, they tell you ‘you’re not old enough’.

"You can’t really win with that kind of double standard.”

SO WHAT ARE THE RACIAL COMMENTS AND WHO MADE THEM?

Here is a breakdown of the comments of a racial/religious nature Mr Basra has received since announcing his candidacy on May 7, often from accounts with only a couple of hundred followers or so (or, in the case of Kevin Walsh, literally one single follower).

These are most of the messages that were in direct reply to things Mr Basra posted:

Funny Logic (@7thTimeCharmer): "Foreigner."

Joe soap (@Joesoap66390242): "You won't win because your not a ni protestant....I'd say that when you grow up and think back...you will understand what I'm saying..the loyalist people hate you because of your colour and race. And we nationalists are ashamed of you..YOU KNOW WHY... You're ancestors are ashamed of you"

Joe Leeds Motd (@JoeCarroll34743): "Reinvigorate unionism..! Ha... Go Reinvigorate the British Empire in Pakistan & India ."

cryptoaccumulator (@Cryptoaccumlate): "You have no business in Ireland. You're not Irish"

Westie (@westie1988ie): "Person with Indian Heritage who celebrates Winston Churchill (the man who starved and genocided Indians) and British Empire who ruled India with an iron fist/Partitioned it He is a member of the UUP, a Party drenched in Fascism, discrimination and use of militias/Paramilitaries"

Kevin Walsh (@KevinWa92476788): "Be careful what you wish for. NI are only inches away from Muslims fmrunning the show"

Shoe (@MacBhranaigh): "Never vote for a foreignor we need to stick together irish and british"

Julius Gaius Caesars (Ghost) (@Double_Speak812): "Are you kidding? Do you hate Ulster that MUCH? This is capitulation to globalism and the destruction of our heritage, culture and traditions. But if he is a proud unionist then why wear a Punjabi? I dont recall in our history many unionists wearing Punjabi's, maybe balaclava's but please don't spin. Either you are a unionist or not? Christian or not? Integration? Im sick of this pageantry with this DEI cancer. Spin it how you like. You are clearly opening the door to more illegal immigrants and foreign interference in our future. Call me a racist all you like. You have failed us. NOW THE WINSOR FRAMEWORK HAS SHAFTED US AND NOW YOU SHOW OFF THIS."

HYPERBOREAN CALIPH(owl) (@emirateofantrim): "Planters welcoming in more planters"

Yan Mac Oireachtaigh (@YanMacNP): "Average unionist Vs Irish Nationalist. Which way Irish man?" - this user is a candidate in Dublin for the National Party, a right-wing fringe outfit, and the tweet showed a picture of himself next to a picture of Mr Basra

Other tweets which were not directly in reply to Mr Basra included:

How's she cuttin (@MacLughaidh): "Another f**king sub continent Brit. When will republicans wake the f**k up."

Chiang Mai Irish (@onthemove555): "We use to sing 'I'd rather be pakí than a hun', not sure in this case. Why do we tolerate pakís input on our national sovereignty, it's mental. Imagine Seamy O'Hara in Pakistani Kashmir advocating for it to join India. How long would he last?"

yah'wha? (@yah_wha): "this browns head is a terrorist atrocity."

Palmarian Crusader (@palmarcrusader): "Why is this Poonjobbie even putting his fat fingers into Irish political affairs? This isn’t England, sunshine."

He also said that he has had “threatening” direct messages, which he has passed on to police.