Sunday,
June 15, 2008
Fury Created by Tory Candidate in Wales UK,
Calling Italians "Greasy Wops"
The
ANNOTICO Report
TORY AM (Assembly Member) Alun Cairns was last night forced
to apologise for using the phrase greasy wops to describe
Italians during a live radio broadcast. He also said he
had not intended any offence, and regrets his remarks.
It is amazing
that the true feelings that slip out when our guard
is down.
Labour said Mr Cairns should be
disciplined for the comments, calling them outrageous.
Mr Cairns is a candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan
(
I'd
be more satisfied if Joe Calzaghe, had a few "instructional words" with Mr. Cairns.
Calzaghe lives in Newbridge,
He is sometimes
referred to as the "Italian Dragon" in reference to his mixed
heritage (the dragon being both a Welsh emblem and a Sardinian myth), or the
"Pride of Wales." He is the current WBO, WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine
world super middleweight champion. He also holds the Ring light heavyweight
title. He previously held the IBF world super middleweight and the British
super middleweight championships.Calzaghe is the
longest reigning title holder in any weight class in boxing, recently passing
the ten year mark as the WBO super middleweight champion.
Fury at Tory’s Italian Jibe
Western Mail
By Tomos
Livingstone
June 14 2008
TORY AM Alun
Mr Cairns, Tory candidate
for the Vale of Glamorgan at the next general
election, was taking part in the weekly Dau or Bae news discussion programme on
BBC Radio Cymru yesterday
lunchtime.
In a
light-hearted item towards the end of the show, contributors were discussing
which side they were supporting in the Euro 2008 football tournament.
One mentioned
that she had written a note saying boring next to
Presenter Vaughan
Roderick immediately invited the Tory AM to apologise,
which he did, and the programme ended almost
immediately afterwards.
Labour said Mr
Cairns should be disciplined for the comments, calling them outrageous.
But Mr Cairns himself, a well-respected and experienced member
of the Assembly where he chairs the Finance Committee, said he had not intended
any offence.
A Conservative
Party spokesman said afterwards: Alun apologises for any offence that was taken and he regrets
his remarks.
They do not
reflect his view of
Mr Cairns himself told the
Western Mail: I apologised immediately having said it
and I withdraw the comment. I want to repeat the apology I gave immediately
having made the comment.
The Labour MP for
These comments
are outrageous and show the true face of the Conservative Party.
If David Cameron
is serious about changing his party then he should take immediate action
against Alun Cairns.
If he stays
silent people will be able to draw their own conclusions.
The phrase wop
is an offensive description of Italians with its origins in southern Italian
dialects.
It is thought to
come from guappo, a word meaning someone who is
arrogant and not, as is sometimes suggested, an acronym for without papers in
reference to Italian emigration to the
Mr Cairns swift apology may
be the end of the matter, but he is not the first politician or public figure
to be caught out during a live broadcast.
...Mr Cairns is hoping to overturn a Labour
majority of 1,808 in the Vale of Glamorgan at the
next general election. The seat is held by Labours
John Smith.
The South Wales
West AM, formerly spokesman on economic development, is now the Tories shadow
education spokesman and also chairs the Finance Committee.
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