DUP MLA says resending anti-Irish Olympics 'joke' on Twitter was mistake

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

'I meant to delete it. I retweeted it instead but when I realised my mistake I deleted it'

DUP MLA Jim Wells – tipped to be a future Health Minister – says that he meant to delete and not retweet to his 1,770 followers an anti-Irish ‘joke’ from someone else on his Twitter page at the weekend as the London 2012 Olympics ended.

The South Down MLA and Deputy Chair of the Assembly Health Committee retweeted the following from @MarcherLord1, who claims to be a UKIP supporter and describes himself as a “feckless ex-RAF type”.

“The Irish take the gold – most of the lead off the roof and half of the copper piping from the changing rooms.”

Jim Wells said he had intended to delete the tweet, which he said he did not find funny.

“It was entirely in error. I meant to delete it.”

The DUP MLA said he has now blocked the person who sent it.

He said the tweet arrived in the middle of a Twitter debate about whether double gold medalist Mo Farah – who fled to Britain as a refugee from Somalia – should be made a lord or knighted.

“There was a whole series of debates over how we should recognise the athletes,” Jim Wells said, “then there came the message which I meant to delete. I retweeted it instead but when I realised my mistake I deleted it.”