Lord Kilclooney hits back after brutal reaction to Kamala Harris ‘Indian’ tweet

On Monday the former Ulster Unionist deputy leader, better known as John Taylor, had referred to US vice-president-elect Kamala Harris as “the Indian” – later claiming he didn’t know her name at the time.

His remarks provoked an international backlash with many thousands of people on social media lambasting the life peer who cut his ties with the UUP ten years ago.

NI Secretary Brandon Lewis responded saying: “This ignorant and racist behaviour is abhorrent – action must be taken and an apology issued.”

First Minister Arlene Foster said: “Lord Kilclooney should know manners maketh man. We have suffered from stereotyping and insensitive words here. A real apology to Vice President Elect Harris is due. His words have been heard around the world. It harms Northern Ireland and our work to build a better future.”

In Lord Kilclooney’s original tweet, which has since been deleted, he said: “What happens if Biden moves on and the Indian becomes President. Who then becomes Vice President?”

The crossbench peer later tweeted that he was happy to withdraw his “reference to her as an Indian” as “it seems to have upset some people”.

House of Lords Speaker Norman Fowler expressed his disapproval on Twitter with the message: “Lord Kilclooney should retract and apologise. This is an offensive way to refer to anyone, let alone a woman who has just made history.

“The comment is entirely unacceptable and has no place in British politics. I could not be clearer.”

The story was picked up by the New York Times, that reported British lawmakers had “condemned the comment as transparently racist”.

Lord Kilclooney has rejected claims the tweet was racist, and was still defending his actions on Tuesday in the face of continued criticism.

In another tweet, he said: “With reference to the controversy about my recent tweet about the USA presidency a biased report in the New York Times has been brought to my attention. I defended the tweet but it claims that I ‘tried’ to defend. Also states British lawmakers condemned the tweet. It was a few!!”

When challenged to “stop digging” by a professor of EU law at the University of Essex, Steve Peers, Lord Kilclooney said: “So you support a Speaker, who is assumed to be an impartial moderator, making a decision without discussing it with the persons involved, and then giving a statement to the media behind back without informing the person or persons involved. Not impartiality or good chairmanship!”

Lord Kilclooney denied being racist in 2018 when he sparked controversy by referring to Leo Varadkar, who was then Ireland’s taoiseach, as a “typical Indian”.

The Lords’ standards commissioner said: “We are not able to confirm whether or not a complaint has been received.”

Lord Kilclooney claims he did not know name of Kamala Harris

‘I’m certainly no racist’ says Lord Kilclooney

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