Backtrack after MP intervenes

Scottish comedian Limmy has backtracked over a series of aggressive Tweets against Margaret Thatcher and the Royal Family, after they sparked calls for him to be sacked by the BBC.

The comic, real name Brian Limond, said: ‘I have deleted my tweets, and I'd like to apologise for any offence caused. It is never my intention to offend.’

However, the contrite tone was in stark contrast to the messages which landed him in hot water, in which he relished the idea of killing Prince William with a Samurai sword, compared the Tories to the Nazi party and posted an image of Margaret Thatcher with her eyes scratched out, a slash mark across her neck and the words ‘Die Now’ scrawled across her face.

His anti-Royal messages started with a comment on William urging FIFA to relax its ban on the England football team wearing Remembrance Day Poppies during their game on Saturday.

He tweeted: ‘Would Prince William write to FIFA on behalf of the Scotland team wearing poppies? No. Cos he thinks ENGLAND won the war.’

That was followed by: ‘I'd love to slide a samurai sword up Prince William's arse to the hilt, then yank it towards me like a door that won't f*cking open.; Of the Tories, Limmy wrote: ‘England voted in the Tories KNOWING what would happen, just like Germany voted in the Nazis KNOWING what would happen. SAME PEOPLE. To my mind, there is no difference between what's going on in England right now and Nazi Germany’

After that attracted the attention of Tory supporters he said: ‘This is f*cking excellent, I've got a shower of Tory c*nts coming after me, retweeting everything.COME INTAE ME, TORY SCUM, COME INTAE ME!!!!’

And he further provoked them with the message: ‘If I was to find out right now that Thatcher had died, I don't think my heart could take it. Jackpot.

‘How removed from reality must you be to not see Thatcher's death as a celebration.’

When criticised over this, he changed his avatar to Stalin, then a picture of Thatcher with ‘Die Now’ written in red over it.’

Among those offended by the posts was Tory MP Louise Mensch, whose attention was drawn to them as she prepared to grill James Murdoch as part of the Commons inquiry into phone hacking.

She tweeted: ‘How is it possible for a working comedian to put up an avatar of an old woman w/ red line over her throat & DIE NOW written across her face? Violence against an old woman totally beyond "free speech".’

And she asked her followers about what channel had employed him. The 37-year-old had a series with BBC Scotland, Limmy’s Show, which ran for 13 episodes last year – though the corporation was quick to distance itself from his messages. ‘Brian Limond is not a member of staff and clearly his views are not those of the BBC,’ a spokesman said.

After Mensch’s intervention, Limmy reverted his avatar back to the photograph of himself, and issued the apology.

Published: 11 Nov 2011