London mayor candidate Rory Stewart has come under fire for comments made about Irish rap group Hare Squead. According to The Guardian, the former cabinet minister, said on Wednesday “One thing about social media is that it allows people to see politicians listening… I can go to Brick Lane and three sort of minor gangsters can come up to me and spend a minute telling me I’m an idiot.”
The original encounter occurred as the Tory MP took to the streets to interact on camera for a campaign video.
You can’t win ‘em all… Brick Lane #RoryWalks pic.twitter.com/mAFSQuZuGp
— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) June 9, 2019
According to the Tory politician’s team the comments were, “obviously a light-hearted, self-deprecatory remarks – where Rory was reflecting on an amiable exchange he had when walking along Brick Lane”.
This is not the first time Rory Stewart, a former Etonian has been challenged about his outrageous comments, previously been quoted as saying, “Some areas around here are pretty primitive, people holding up their trousers with bits of twine and that sort of thing.”
This is racism.
And it is completely shameful. Especially when it comes from someone running to be the mayor of our diverse and multicultural capital city.https://t.co/WUqABWGA9k — Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) October 25, 2019
Hare Squead’s Lilo Blues has since responded on twitter:
Some corny looking opportunistic goof called me, Tony and Sev gangsters
— LÍLO (@_FishMilk) October 25, 2019
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