Deputy Lindsay Ash, who is an Assistant Treasury Minister, sparked controversy online after commenting on TV presenter Oprah Winfrey’s appearance following her interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
In it, he said ‘this Harry and Meghan interview seems to have caused a bit of a furore, what baffles me is why Ian Wright dressed up as Mrs Doubtfire to do it’.
The tweet provoked several comments criticising the St Clement Deputy for seemingly mocking Ms Winfrey’s appearance.
Following a backlash online, Deputy Ash, speaking to the JEP, said that individual politicians should be able to express their individual sense of humour and said: ‘I feel it is a bit of a storm in a teacup.’
He added: ‘I apologise to anybody who was offended by it.’
When challenged on social media about his comments, Deputy Ash said: ‘It is observational comedy… it will amuse some and offend those who wish to find it offensive. I am not a career politician and will not merely walk a populist line to appease as many as often as possible. To quote the song “I am what I am”.’
In a further conversation referring to his initial tweet, one Islander criticised the Deputy for mocking a woman for her looks on International Women’s Day, to which Deputy Ash responded: ‘I would have mocked a man for his looks as well.’
