Member of UK House of Lords defends referring to Kamala Harris as ‘the Indian’

A member of the U.K. House of Lords defended referring to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as “the Indian” in a since-deleted tweet on Monday.

Lord John Kilclooney, 88, faced criticism after referring to Harris as “the Indian” when questioning what happens if President-elect Joe Biden “moves on” and she becomes president. Harris is slated to become the first Black, Indian and Caribbean American woman to serve as the vice presidency. 

“What happens if Biden moves on and the Indian becomes President. Who then becomes Vice President?” he tweeted, according to The Guardian.

After backlash, Kilclooney replied to his post saying, “This tweet is canceled” and deleted the tweet. The former deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist party defended his original post in subsequent tweets, saying he “did not know her name and identified her with the term Indian.”

“Most people understood.Racist NO,” he posted. 

Whilst Biden is proud to be Irish and Harris is rightly proud of her Indian background I certainly withdraw my reference to her as an Indian as it seems to have upset some people. I did not know her name and identified her with the term Indian. Most people understood.Racist NO.

— Lord John Kilclooney (@KilclooneyJohn) November 9, 2020

The Speaker of the Lords, Norman Fowler, called on Kilclooney to retract his post and apologize.

“This is an offensive way to refer to anyone, let alone a woman who has just made history,” he tweeted. “The comment is entirely unacceptable and has no place in British politics. I could not be clearer.”

Lord Kilclooney should retract and apologise. This is an offensive way to refer to anyone, let alone a woman who has just made history. The comment is entirely unacceptable and has no place in British politics. I could not be clearer.

— Lord Speaker (@LordSpeaker) November 9, 2020

Kilclooney in turn condemned Fowler for criticizing him “without having the courtesy of speaking to me beforehand.”

“He is misinformed but I am not surprised!” he posted. 

The House of Lords member also reportedly told the Press Association that he’s “very fond of India myself” and cited that he is a member of the British India all-party group and has two Indian tenants in his buildings.

“I have two Indians (tenants) in my flats here in London and there’s nothing racist in it whatsoever,” he said, according to The Guardian. 

Angela Smith, the Labour Party’s leader in the House of Lords, said she would file an official complaint. 

“I am so angry about this comment,” she said, according to The Guardian. “It is despicable and beneath contempt and totally unacceptable from anyone – but especially from someone in parliament.”

Biden and Harris were declared the president-elect and the vice president-elect after being projected to win the election last weekend. President Trump is challenging the vote count in several battleground states through lawsuits and has not yet conceded to Biden.