UKIP MEP Janice Atkinson has been forced to apologise after she described a Thai constituent as a “ting tong from somewhere” in an interview with BBC South East Today radio.
Fa Munday, a mobile food seller, is originally form Thailand, but is married to an Englishman and considers herself British. Both her and her husband were UKIP supporters and have previously met Atkinson at UKIP rallies.
Unaware that “ting tong” meant a mad person in Thai, Atkinson apologised for her remarks, saying:
“I deeply regret the words I used and am incredibly sorry.
“It was poor judgement and naivety on my part rather than words spoken with any malice.
“I am devastated that I have caused hurt and apologise profusely to both Mr and Mrs Munday.”
In a statement, UKIP said:
“Janice has apologised for the words she used.
“UKIP in no way condones the use of language that may reflect prejudice or cause offence and we sincerely hope this matter can be resolved privately.”
