UKIP MEP Apologises for Using 'Outrageous' Term

UKIP MEP Apologises for Using 'Outrageous' Term

A politician in the UK Independence Party (UKIP) apologised on Monday for calling a Thai woman “ting tong”.

Janice Atkinson, a Member of the European Parliament, was recorded by the BBC making the comments after meeting Fa Munday, a food seller in Kent and UKIP supporter.

“We’ve got Fa who’s, I dunno, she’s a ting tong from somewhere,” Atkinson said.

The anti-immigration, anti-European Union UKIP has rejected allegations of racism in the past following controversial comments by some of its politicians.

Munday told the BBC “I’m from Thailand. I’m married to an Englishman and now I’m British. No one has ever spoken about me like that before.”

Her husband Vincent told BBC both would withdraw their membership of UKIP.

“It’s a bit outrageous, her comments have come as a bit of a shock,” he told BBC radio. “I’m quite offended.”

Atkinson apologised to the couple in a statement.

“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,” the representative for South East England said.

A UKIP spokesman said the party “in no way condones the use of language that may reflect prejudice or cause offence”.

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