Lib Dem MEP Graham Watson apologised after tweeting “Al Qaeda 1, @David_Cameron 0″ in response to the prime minister’s decision to postpone his EU speech to deal with the Algeria hostage crisis.
Watson explained to the BBC that he sent the message as a protest against Cameron for allowing the speech to become “over-hyped”, but later removed the tweet after receiving a severe rebuke from party leader Nick Clegg.
He then posted another message, saying: “I wish to apologise profusely for the insensitive tweet I issued earlier. I have taken it down.”
A party spokesman called the message “wholly inappropriate and offensive”.
“It’s clearly sick and offensive and is utterly condemned by Nick Clegg,” he told the BBC.
Cameron was due to travel to the Netherlands to deliver a long-awaited speech on Britain’s relationship with the European Union, but his office said he would now be staying in London to deal with the crisis.
MEP apologises for Al Qaeda tweet
