New American VP Kamala Harris
Lord Kilclooney has been criticised for a tweet referring to Senator Kamala Harris as “the Indian”.
“What happens if Biden moves on and the Indian becomes President. Who then becomes Vice President?” he posted on Twitter.
Ms Harris made history as the first female, first black and first Asian-American US vice-president-elect.
The SDLP’s Sinead McLaughlin replied on twitter: “I won’t share that tweet from Lord Kilclooney but it is utterly abhorrent.
“Racism through and through.
“And this isn’t a one off.
“He has made the same comment about Varadkar for years.
“He must withdraw his comments immediately and issue an apology.
A number of MPs have said the tweet was “racist” and it “beggars belief”.
When challenged Lord Kilclooney, a former deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, claimed he had not “known her name yet”.
North Down MP Stephen Farry said the tweet was “disgusting and racist”.
Labour MP Wes Streeting said: “This sort of racism would be unacceptable from anyone, but from a member of the House of Lords it beggars belief.
“Action must be taken.”
Lord Kilclooney is no stranger to controversy, especially when it comes to social media.
In 2018, he called the then Taoiseach Leo Varadkar a “typical Indian”, which he later described as a mistake.
The House of Lords commissioner for standards decided there would no formal investigation into the matter.
Broadcaster Mohammed Shafiq described Monday’s tweet as “another racist comment from Lord John”.
Doug Beattie, an UUP Assembly member, tweeted it was “poor” and urged the peer to delete the tweet.
Daniel McCrossan, an SDLP assembly member, branded the peer “a disgrace”.
Defending his choice of words on Twitter, the peer replied: “Very interesting but I detest people being indemnified by their colour.
“But she likes being a USA citizen of Indian decent just as Biden is proud to be Irish.
“India is proud of her and celebrating quite correctly. No hesitation in stressing her Indian roots!”
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