Tory MP Aidan Burley Apologises After Attending Nazi-Themed Stag Party

Aidan Burley Mp

Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 11/12/11 14:58 GMT Updated: 19/12/11 13:44 GMT

A Conservative MP has apologised after he was caught taking part in a Nazi themed stag-do that involved Hitler salutes and don SS officer uniforms.

Cannock Chase MP Aidan Burley was photographed by the Mail on Sunday (MoS) while enjoying an evening with friends in a restaurant in the French Ski resort of Val Thorens on December 3.

According to the paper some of the party sung "Hitler, Hitler, Hitler", another toasted the "Third Reich" while one of the group wore the uniform of a Nazi SS officer.

The MP is not said to have indulged in the behaviour himself, but the paper says he did nothing to encourage his friends to stop. He has since apologised on Twitter.


Aidan Burley MP
Deeply regret inappropriate behaviour by some guests at Stag party I attended and i am extremely sorry for any offence that was caused.

When one of Burley's friends was asked by the reporter what they were doing, he said: "We are trying to intimidate as many people as possible. A lot have been quite offended, especially one guy who was both Jewish and gay."

It also emerged that the French authorities are considering pursuing legal action against some in the 12 man group as the wearing of Nazi uniforms is against the law.

"Anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi crimes are taken extremely seriously in France. Anyone suspected of breaking the law in this respect can and will be prosecuted," a French police spokesman told the MoS.

Burley, 32, is parliamentary aide to transport secretary Justine Greening.

FOLLOW HUFFPOST UK POLITICS

 
 
  • Comments
  • 185
  • Pending Comments
  • 0
  • View FAQ
Comments are closed for this entry
View All
Favorites
Recency  | 
Popularity
Page: 1 2 3 4 5  Next ›  Last »  (7 total)
photo
European1919
I am the PigmⒶn
06:18 AM on 12/12/2011
Aaah ... the self-righteous indignation of the pc brigade.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Daviejohn
All the world's a stage,
12:24 PM on 12/12/2011
Obviously going by some remarks here, the man should be publicly flogged and dressed in sack cloth and ashes. God help us, what are we becoming. I can only imagine the beating of chest's and public wailing.
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
photo
Vapula
Failure is not an option
03:38 AM on 12/12/2011
Why apologize for something that you really are not sorry for?
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mrjeremyfisher
02:33 AM on 12/12/2011
Painfully apparent that he is only apologizing because he was caught not because he is genuinely remorseful.

I hope he and his unbelievably repellent friends are disgraced bit by bit in the coming months and years.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
GingerlyColors
No will to change it, no right to criticize it
02:33 AM on 12/12/2011
I am sure that ignorance of the law being no defence applies under French Law as it does under English Law. The French authorities should make an example of this high-profile case.
01:16 AM on 12/12/2011
Members of the Royal family seem to think dressing up like a Nazi is ok, so why not an MP?
01:12 AM on 12/12/2011
Well this is simply priceless.

The way that many members of this government have been behaving - especially in regards to the NHS, Welfare and disabilities; I would be surprised if the entire cabinet wasn't found to have been at this party. "Fancy dress; really? This is what I normally wear!"
01:12 AM on 12/12/2011
I assume all members of society with at least two brain cells to rub together have far better things to do in their lives than be an MP. Whatever your political persuasion, how many of us would seriously think it would be a good idea to go to a Nazi themed stag-do if we were a serving MP? Even if it was on Kepler 22-b, you'd have serious doubts.
I've got to laugh at the choice of photo - David Cameron doing his famous Tommy Cooper impression, or is it Stan Laurel? Another fine mess!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
floodberg
Attorney (ret.)
01:07 AM on 12/12/2011
UPDATE: Apparently the video is in front of French judges, and they are preparing charges. And even better, apparently Burley was caught on the video paying the bill; so he can't claim ignorance about what was going on. Now sack him, and let the French deal with him.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Miserable Swine
09:48 AM on 12/12/2011
That has made my day. Better still, the way the UK is now looking - like a petulant child - with regards to Europe, this guy and his mates will be well and truly out in the cold if it goes to court in France.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
floodberg
Attorney (ret.)
05:16 PM on 12/12/2011
MS, the French are totally justified in making examples of these three clowns and I'm pretty sure they're going to love doing it.  Given the veto, I don't think they will bow to political pressure from UK which makes this even funnier.  How arrogant and stupid were these clowns, particularly the MP, to pull this just now?  They must have felt like triumphant invaders....and now, due to their own arrogance, they'll know what the extra men (with STDs) feel like at the 'wife swap.'

I'm rather hoping for a quick conviction, 30 days in jail actually served (should mess up at least the groom's wedding), one doozy of a fine for each, followed by a forcible deportation in handcuffs (photographed and distributed worldwide.)   Considering that MP is engaged also, I'd guess at least two future wives are rethinking marrying a 12yo with a trust fund; if that were my daughter, I'd demand a large settlement for her to go through with the wedding (as a deterrence to future stupidity, and to make him put a higher value on her, to be held separately and excluded from marital assets. I'd also renegotiate the prenup.)  Without that, 'what is past is prologue' and it will happen again.

If I'd done that to my brilliant engineer/wife, in the optimistic scenario she'd have consigned me to a month living in the shed (no hotel, no living with my bud) eating cold canned beans, and not even let me take the dogs for company.  And then I'd have to come up with a seriously expensive apology that she'd wear exactly once and toss in the safe.  But that would be too easy. She was Jewish and lost her extended family in that war, so I'd expect she'd divorce me, I'd sign over everything and spend a year minimum living with my bud (who would tease me unmercifully every day for being such a bozo) and wooing her back ('cause she really did love me) until she agreed to marry me again. I would have been glad to do it...actually it sounds like a lot of fun.  Wooing this magnificent woman was a challenge and a thrill, so much so that after we were married I kept wooing her...geez, what a lady, what a marriage.  My marriage was so much fun even with her cancer that it shoulda been illegal.
12:56 AM on 12/12/2011
Probably the right uniform for tories to wear given the way they are attacking and treating the sick and poor of this country!
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
floodberg
Attorney (ret.)
01:03 AM on 12/12/2011
Let's not give them any more ideas...like housing them in camps and using them for cheap labour. (I'm of course excepting that required labour for benefits which of course really benefit the Tory donors, because for some magical reason that's legal.)
06:00 AM on 12/12/2011
My son who has cereberak palsy ended up working an 8 hour day for £4.50 a day expenses. This was with a group called caretrust who have contracts with our local council to cut grass etc also do work for various private contracts.Job centre plus then placed him as yep you guessed it a voulenteer with the National trust. slave labour is and has been used by some otganisations for years. He now has a paid job found without the help of the state or anyone else. he only works 2-3 days a week and still goes to The national trusr the rest of the timedisability benefits stopped entierly within £ dats of starting work.Tax credits kicked in after 4 months.
12:49 AM on 12/12/2011
you never have to scrape much below the sufface of any tory mp, and as for the people who see no harm in it.......obviously mentally challenged, which would make them a tory.
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
mfa11e
Tell the truth ,regardless
12:34 AM on 12/12/2011
Personally I find a Tory MP behaving like a Tory MP repugnant
12:29 AM on 12/12/2011
Well isn't that the way this country is going to end up if we don't get out of the EU ???????
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
floodberg
Attorney (ret.)
01:09 AM on 12/12/2011
Probably; but it may be some small comfort that the French will end up like that first.
This comment has been removed.
11:54 PM on 12/11/2011
For god's sake, the war was over nearly 70 years ago, let it drop
12:35 AM on 12/12/2011
Now who are you to tell people to let it drop ??? we fought the war to keep our freedom of speech and you think you can just take it away , so our war heros died in vane because of dictators like you
photo
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Berlinica
www.berlinica.com
12:02 AM on 12/20/2011
In vane? Where is vane?
12:58 AM on 12/12/2011
What a selfish statement asking many who suffered in the war to give you the freedom you have today and you want us all to forget it? SHAME on you!
02:54 AM on 12/12/2011
What freedom ???, the freedom to go out and get mugged or worse
11:49 PM on 12/11/2011
jazz hands