Conservative councillor Alexis McEvoy has caused outrage by sending a racist tweet about ex-footballer and TV pundit Ian Wright, calling him a “typical black hypocrite” in relation to his support for Gary Lineker.
Lineker had been critical of the government’s hideous migration policy and was removed as a presenter from Match of the Day, prompting a public outcry and subsequent reinstatement.
Ian Wright was the first person to stand down from Saturday’s Match of the Day in solidarity, prompting a wave of others to follow.
The tweet in question was sent on Saturday and came along with apparent support for Matt Le Tissier and his conspiracy comments about Covid that saw him let go from his job with Sky.
McEvoy’s tweet has since been deleted and her account deactivated. She has apologised, while claiming to find racism in ‘any form abhorrent’ after first trying to deflect in a bid to defend herself. She then reported herself for investigation, while Liberal Democrat Councillor Jack Davies has written to Tory leader Jill Cleary to urge action.
Cllr McEvoy said, eventually,: “I am aware that a tweet I sent, and then deleted, has caused offence.
“I did not mean it to do so and I am deeply sorry.
“I find racism in any form abhorrent, I have therefore reported myself to the monitoring officer at both Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council and have suspended myself from both the Conservative groups at New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council, pending investigations.”
McEvoy did not clarify what she meant to do if, after typing the words out and hitting send, she didn’t actually mean to do that.
She initially said, as these sorts tend to do, that her tweet had been ‘taken out of context’ while blaming other politicians for being ‘troublesome’.
McEvoy initially told the Advertiser & Times: “Are we going to talk about all the good things I do for people, whatever colour they are? I do a lot of good things for people. I’m not prepared to make a further comment on it.
“I’m not stupid; we’ve got the elections coming up and people are looking for an excuse to try and discredit me.”