Howard orders Spectator editor to Liverpool
Conservative Party leader Michael Howard has reportedly ordered party colleague, Boris Johnson to visit Liverpool and apologise for a “nonsensical” article that appeared in The Spectator magazine, criticising Liverpudlians for “wallowing” over the murder of Ken Bigley and the Hillsborough football disaster.
Mr Johnson, the MP for Henley, is the magazine’s editor and the Conservatives’ spokesman on culture and sport.
The article noted “the mawkish sentimentality of a society that has become hooked on grief and likes to wallow in a sense of vicarious victimhood” and claimed there had been an “extreme reaction” to the execution of Mr Bigley in Iraq.
The right-wing magazine also suggested the Liverpudlian psyche evoked an “excessive predilection for welfarism.”
The BBC reports that Mr Johnson has responded to his leader’s request and will visit the city next week to apologise for the comments in person.
“We certainly intended no insult to the people of Liverpool and as far as any offence was taken, I am very, very sorry,” Mr Johnson said in an earlier apology on behalf of The Spectator.
In light of the reaction to the article, the Conservative MP admitted to receiving a verbal “kick in the pants” from Mr Howard, who has publicly distanced his party from the comments.
“I totally disagree with the comment in The Spectator about Liverpool. I have nothing but the greatest admiration and affection for Liverpool and its people,” said Mr Howard.
“I think what was said in the Spectator was nonsense from beginning to end.”
Peter Kilfoyle, Labour MP for Liverpool, Walton, had earlier demanded an immediate apology from Mr Johnson.
“It is inaccurate. It is outrageous and it is bigoted and it is the responsibility of the man who presumes to be shadow minister for culture, media and sport,” he said.
“He should immediately apologise for this disgraceful comment about Liverpool, and the tragedy at Hillsborough and the implied insult to the Bigley family.
“To single out Liverpool as somehow being psychologically flawed is absolutely outrageous.”
The Hillsborough Family Support Group described the article as “typical Tory propaganda.”
