Leave.EU deletes Angela Merkel ‘Kraut’ tweet and apologises

Updated
German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as part of a government meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was labelled a 'kraut' in a tweet by Leave.EU (AP)

A tweet by Leave.EU that labelled German Chancellor Angela Merkel a “Kraut” has been deleted following a major backlash.

The pro-Brexit group posted a picture of Mrs Merkel on Tuesday alongside the caption: “We didn’t win two world wars to be pushed around by a Kraut.”

The tweet followed reports that Mrs Merkel told Boris Johnson in a phone call that Northern Ireland must remain in the customs union after Brexit.

The tweet was widely condemned after it was posted on Tuesday (Twitter)
The tweet was widely condemned after it was posted on Tuesday (Twitter)

However, the post was widely condemned and Leave.EU deleted the tweet this morning as senior figures took to Twitter to apologise.

Co-founder Arron Banks tweeted: “The @LeaveEUOfficial team went too far yesterday…

“As a result we will delete the post and apologise accordingly.”

He added that “the point could have been made better”.

The official Leave.EU Twitter page quoted Mr Banks, adding: ‘We’re sorry.”

Leave.EU’s comms director Andy Wigmore also said the tweet was “not appropriate” and “went too far”.

File photo dated 21/8/2019 of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, ahead of talks to try to break the Brexit deadlock. Downing Street has said it is clear that EU has adopted a new position on Brexit following a call between the two leaders earlier Tuesday.
The tweet was posted following reports of a 'frank exchange' between Boris Johnson and Mrs Merkel (PA)

The Independent Group for Change MP Chris Leslie criticised the way the phone call between the Prime Minister and the German chancellor on Tuesday morning was briefed to journalists, and described Leave.EU’s tweet as “racist”.

Responding to the briefing about the phone call, Michael Gove said: "I take this opportunity at this despatch box to entirely disassociate myself from any sort of racist or demeaning language towards Germany – they are our friends, our allies, they are a great country.”

The PM's official spokesman acknowledged there had been a "frank exchange" with Mrs Merkel.

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