Boris Johnson calls London St Patrick's Day event 'Lefty Sinn Fein crap'
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Outspoken London mayor Boris Johnson has described the city’s St Patrick’s Day gala dinner celebrations linking them to Sinn Fein and branding it "lefty crap".
The Irish community demanded Mr Johnson apologise for his remarks, claiming they were “lazy and stupid”.
In an interview to the ‘New Statesman’ newspaper he said: “. . . And I'll tell you what makes me angry. . . spending £20,000 (€24,000) on a dinner at the Dorchester for Sinn Fein.” Irish community leader in London, Shelagh O'Connor, from Kerry, said Mr Johnson's comments were extremely disrespectful.
“They reflect an era that we thought had passed and an era when Irish people in London faced discrimination and were the butt of jokes. We deserve more respect. It makes me very angry and I feel Boris should apologise,” she said.
And Christine Quigley, who is a Labour candidate for the upcoming London Assembly elections and originally from Dublin, said the mayor's comments were baseless.
She said: “Boris’s lazy and stupid remark is utterly factually wrong. The fact is the annual St Patrick's Day event he refers to was a self-financing community event attended by a wide range of Irish actors and politicians from many parties, community figures and celebrities, including Bob Geldof, the Irish Ambassador, Dermot O'Leary, Richard Corrigan, and Pauline McLynn. It did not cost the taxpayer £20,000 and it was not a Sinn Fein event.”
Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Vernon Coaker MP waded into the controversy, describing Mr Johnson's comments as “ill-judged, inaccurate and offensive”.
The gala dinners, backed by the mayor's office under Ken Livingstone for six years, came to an abrupt end when Mr Johnson came to office in 2009.
The proceeds raised from the sales of tickets to the dinners and sponsorship covered costs with any monies left over given to an Irish community charity in London and also towards the costs of the city's St Patrick's Day parade and festival.
Invited guests at the black-tie event over the years also included the former Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton. An open letter criticising Mr Johnson's comments was sent to the ‘Guardian’ newspaper and signed by London-based Irish personalities such as restaurateur and chef Richard Corrigan and actor Adrian Dunbar.
When contacted a spokesman for Mr Johnson said: “The mayor does not believe he was elected to organise exclusive and expensive dinners at the Dorchester Hotel . . . He appreciates and admires the Irish like every other community in this wonderful cosmopolitan capital.”
The Irish Embassy in London has declined to comment on Mr Johnson's remarks, which come less than three months ahead of the city's mayoral election.
In all fairness though they spend a fortune promoting events that highlight the multi cultural make up of London (Notting Hill Carnival, Paddy's Day) but if anyone so much as hangs an English flag out their window on St Georges day they are branded as racist.
In all fairness though they spend a fortune promoting events that highlight the multi cultural make up of London (Notting Hill Carnival, Paddy's Day) but if anyone so much as hangs an English flag out their window on St Georges day they are branded as racist.
no they're not.
and paddy's day is now self-financing. or couldn't you read that far in the article
In an interview to the ‘New Statesman’ newspaper he said: “. . . And I'll tell you what makes me angry. . . spending £20,000 (€24,000) on a dinner at the Dorchester for Sinn Fein.” Stew, and lots of spuds. Cheap and filling.
a slightly more up-to-date linky in which even d.cam himself says it's not racist, and it's a mistake for people to brand it racist. i think the british prime minister's word on this should trump some local council, don't you?
Strict, this no one is allowed to fly a flag is horseshit, they are everywhere. You will no doubt find a 100 newspaper articles from a day when they have nothing to write about and twist the facts. You can barely walk 100 yards here without seeing flags.
The story you linked is about a local authority worker, again a nice twist they have on it, however, the facts are this. Local authorities ban all team, national, local flags badges etc of every persuasion from clothing and vehicles, always have done. These people represent the local authority who are elected to represent everyone, it's not seen as acceptable for them to be seen in any other way than impartial, hence the ban.
Town halls all over the country, including Pendle fly the George cross on the town hall, which is the place for it.
Tories still anti-Irish. They hid that for a while
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