Reactions as tweet from Tory MP to James O’Brien is deleted and grovelling apology made

Just another day in the bear pit that is social media.

We are used to it, sadly, but this debacle yesterday was next-level stupidity.

It began with Angela Joy Richardson, Tory MP for Guildford since 2019, writing a tweet responding to a comment she saw on a fundraising page from someone who at least goes by the on-line alias James O’Brien.

He had commented: “Brilliant Dom, jumping out the plane is a wonderful homage to all the Afghans you failed to help get on the plane. Always loved your ironic sense of humour. Go Dom!

Putting two and two together and making 233747 she tweeted: “James O’Brien is an arse! But many of you knew that already. Fancy going onto someone’s fundraising page intended to help make last weeks and month’s of a dying child’s life easier, making a sarky comment and not donating. The lengths so will go to is astonishing! Arse!”

As you can imagine the LBC broadcast James O’Brien was very concerned that she was indicating it was him who left this message. He wrote: “I and many others think you may be referring to, and therefore clearly libelling, me here. Unchallenged replies to your tweet add to that impression. Please confirm that you are talking about a different James O’Brien or delete and apologise immediately. Thank you.”

She then replied: “I have not tagged you. But I am happy to delete my tweet if your assumption that I meant you caused offence and I apologise as requested.”

She then made a full apology writing: “Earlier this afternoon I posted a tweet attributing behaviors to James O’Brien that I now accept was not him. I would like to unreservedly apologise to him for the implications of that tweet and promise not to make those remarks again.”