
Journalist Rod Liddle's column in the Sunday Times has come under widespread criticism for what he himself admitted would likely be seen as "racist" and/or discriminatory content.
Discussing the recent Peterborough by-election, in which Labour narrowly defeated Nigel Farage's Brexit Party by 683 votes, Mr Liddle offered a take on the result that literally nobody was asking for:
My suspicion is that quite a few of those who voted by post in Peterborough, with help from community leaders, may have been people who do not speak English and may well have thought they were ticking a box to choose their favourite vegetable side dish — tarka dal, brinjal bhaji or Bombay aloo.
I suppose this last comment will be considered a racist aside.
The journalist was referring to accusations of foul play during the Peterborough election.
The police are reportedly investigating five cases of potential electoral fraud, with Conservatives highlighting the involvement of Labour activist Tariq Mahmood, who was previously imprisoned for voter fraud.
Labour has said Mr Mahmood was not one of its 19 official guests allowed in restricted areas at the count.
Speaking to the MailOnline, Mr Farage described Peterborough as a "rotten borough", saying: "We've seen so many cases now where again and again we find - particularly in the inner cities - postal voting is producing the wrong results."
Regardless of the background, many felt that Mr Liddle's comments were entirely uncalled for.
Shameful to see Rod Liddle able to publish such remarks. This is how racism and racist tropes get normalised. https://t.co/rbffl7yr1Z— Tell MAMA UK (@Tell MAMA UK) 1560761868
So are we going to have a national debate about the racism normalised and deliberately incited by much of the natio… https://t.co/BbdlMe2CKx— Owen Jones 🌹 (@Owen Jones 🌹) 1560768498
Rod Liddle wrote this racist, elitist, anti-democratic slur in an column for The Times and it was published. I'm g… https://t.co/dqCStOIDLd— Helen the Zen 🏴 💙 (@Helen the Zen 🏴 💙) 1560767128
My dad has a PhD from Edinburgh in civil engineering, Rod Liddle. But no, he can't speak, read, write and understan… https://t.co/vL63T4z6XH— Snigdha (@Snigdha) 1560762039
Among the many disgusting things about that Rod Liddle quote is that it appeared in The Times. That anyone thought… https://t.co/Xob1aGN4D3— Otto English (@Otto English) 1560778703
While others just found the logic entirely flawed.
@NosheenIqbal Yeah those menus are for white ppl. Asians don’t need to order a flipping Bombay aloo from an Indian take away.— Mad Mummy (@Mad Mummy) 1560727172
@NosheenIqbal @Simon_Vessey Are polling booths in restaurants in Peterborough?— Tenement Rebel Bitch 🏴🍒 (@Tenement Rebel Bitch 🏴🍒) 1560756276
If you think you've read a version this story before - then it's probably because you have.
Mr Liddle, who also writes for The Mail, The Spectator and The Sun, is well known for penning columns discriminating against people of colour and the LGBT+ community under the guise of telling it like it is.
In October 2018, he suggested extremists blow themselves up in London's Tower Hamlets - "a decent distance from where the rest of us live" and was described by LGBT+ charity Stonewall as "a repeat offending bigot" after describing gay sex as "unnatural and perverse".
“Sick”, “Poisonous” and “Racist" - Politicians in Tower Hamlets tell me that Rod Liddle's column calling for suicid… https://t.co/EEK8MKxaYV— Shehab Khan (@Shehab Khan) 1540305796
@NosheenIqbal You can't even publish racist comments for money without the liberal elites whinging at you nowadays.… https://t.co/6lQMIQZ4PV— mike power (@mike power) 1560773168
Sunday's column prompted a former colleague to share some fond memories.
When Rod Liddle was a BBC editor wandering around dressed like a roadie for a heavy metal band I thought he was a p… https://t.co/cnwQpkXZjg— Rory Cellan-Jones (@Rory Cellan-Jones) 1560754814
The Sunday Times were approached for comment on Mr Liddle's recent article, and his Tower Hamlets comments in 2018.
Here's a quick rundown of some of his finest moments:
1. The time he said there wasn't enough islamophobia in the Tory party.
2. When he peddled the heavily discredited and harmful view that chronic fatigue is "all in the mind".
3. When he suggested African-Carribean youths were responsible for most of London's violent crime and have only given "rap music" and "goat curry" in return.
4. When he labelled "the transgender debate" as "grotesque child abuse".
5. When he demonstrated unparalleled wit in identifying "as a young, black, trans chihauhua".
More: Simon Schama destroyed Rod Liddle over the refugee crisis on Question Time
More: Brexit Party candidate 'sick and tired' of Leave voters being branded 'racist' and 'homophobic'