The Scotsman

PM criticises Young over offensive tweets

- By GAVIN CORDON

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, being interviewe­d in her Theresa May has intervened in the row over obscene tweets sent by Toby Young, the controvers­ial new appointee to the universiti­es regulator.

The Prime Minister said she was “not impressed” by his online postings and that any repeat would mean he would lose his position on the board of the Office of Students.

Mr Young, a writer and free schools pioneer, has faced a barrage of criticism following his history of crude and sexist comments on social media, including multiple remarks about women’s breasts.

Appearing on BBC1’S The Andrew Marr Show, Mrs May said: “Toby Young has done exceedingl­y good work in relation to free schools and that’s what has led to him being appointed to the Office for Students.

“When he was appointed I was not aware of these comments that he had made.

“He’s now in public office and as far as I’m concerned if he was to continue to use that sort of language and talk in that sort of way he would no longer be in public office.”

According to the Mail on Sunday, the posting included a sexual “joke” about starving children on Comic Relief.

Mr Young told the paper that he was now a changed man.

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