Tory suspended over Eurovision Irish row
A TORY councillor has been suspended after posting an anti-Irish tweet during the Eurovision Song Contest.
Nick Harrington tweeted that the country could ‘keep your f***ing gipsies’. The 54-year-old also warned of a ‘hard border coming’ in an apparent reference to potential post-Brexit border controls between the UK and Ireland.
The Warwick district councillor appeared to be responding to Ireland’s judges giving the UK ‘nul points’ during the contest. His Twitter account was deleted early yesterday as outrage over the post grew.
The tweet late on Saturday night read: ‘#Eurovision2017 thanks Ireland. You can keep your f***ing gipsies! Hard border coming folks!’
Before Mr Harrington deleted his profile, Conor O’Carroll, a TV location manager based in Ireland tweeted to the councillor: ‘You are a perfect Tory. A nasty bigot that drops his guard when he’s p***ed and makes a fool of himself.’ Another user said he had reported Mr Harrington to police for ‘hate speech’.
Mr Harrington declined to comment yesterday at his £400,000 home in the village of Weston-under-Wetherley, near Leamington Spa.
The Conservative Party confirmed it had suspended the councillor, who was elected two years ago, pending an investigation by the party.
Andrew Mobbs, leader of Warwick District Council, said Mr Harrington had also been suspended from the Tory group on the council, adding: ‘I find these comments completely unacceptable. I have suspended Councillor Harrington from the Conservative group on Warwick District Council for six months. There will be an investigation.’
Former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones, 26, who represented the UK with I’ll Never Give Up On You, finished 15th – the nation’s best result since 2011. The Welsh singer appeared overjoyed by the results, posting on social media: ‘I WONNNNNN!!! Oh no wait...’
Portugal, which won Eurovision for the first time, was represented by Lisbon-born Salvador Sobral, 27.
Bulgaria came second in the contest, with Moldova third.
Sobral, who has a heart condition, performed a melancholy ballad written by his sister.
‘Hard border coming folks!’