Politics

Leave.EU apologises for “racist” Angela Merkel tweet

Leave.EU has issued a rare apology after it posted a tweet of Angela Merkel with the words: “We didn’t win two world wars to be pushed around by a Kraut.”

The campaign group found themselves in hot water yesterday after it posted on social media in response to the German Chancellor’s request that Northern Ireland remains within the European Union’s customs union when the rest of the UK leaves the bloc.

It was described as “racist” in the House of Commons and attracted significant backlash online.

MP Johnny Mercer said: “Plymouth runs through my veins – I know our City inside out. My part of Plymouth voted almost 70% to leave the EU.

“None of them believe this shit.”

While Antoinette Sandbach encouraged people to complain to the ASA.

After defending the tweet – calling Piers Morgan a “snowflake” for reacting angrily to it – Leave.EU co-founder Arron Banks has admitted it “went too far”.

He added: “On reflection the point could have been made better”, but said “the real outrage is the German suggestion that Northern Ireland be separated from the UK”.

Related: Half of Brits now swing voters with no party allegiance

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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