The Tory candidate who labelled Italians 'greasy wops' on live radio has been suspended in his bid to be MP for the key South Wales seat of Vale of Glamorgan at the next election.I posted HERE after the Western Mail splashed on the outrage yesterday.
Alun Cairns tried to limit the damage to his political career by apologising to Italians and stepping down as chairman of the Finance Committee at the Welsh Assembly.
He had the sense to accept that he could no longer serve in that role. But for some reason thought he could carry on as a parliamentary candidate.
It clearly wasn't enough.
Today, he was 'suspended' as a parliamentary candidate 'pending an investigation by the Party Chairman...' .
And who exactly is the Party Chairman...?
Step forward David Cameron's 'sleaze-buster in chief' Caroline Spelman, who herself is being investigated over her own conduct in the Nannygate affair.
To be honest, in Mr Cairns' case, there's very little to investigate.
Despite a slick operation over the past 24-hours to play-down his offensive remarks, his outrageous and totally unprovoked insult is helpfully recorded for posterity on BBC tapes.
The outspoken Mr Cairns is banged to rights with no wriggle room.
It may have been a 'moment of madness' but if 'greasy' and 'wops' are the first words that he writes when referring to Italians, he has shown that he is not fit to hold office at any level.
It was a disgraceful slur on the Welsh-Italian community which this weekend celebrated the CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honour announced on Friday
for one of their most famous sons: the undisputed world super-middleweight Joe Calzaghe, aka 'The Pride of Wales' aka 'The Italian Dragon'.
I bet three rounds with Joe Calzaghe would teach the misguided Mr Cairns that despite his thoughts, it is simply not acceptable to call Italians 'greasy wops'.
UPDATE: Monday's Mirror follows up the story.
