MP Slams 'Incompetent' Police Over Abusive 'Racist Arsehead' Man

MP Tells Of Abusive Voter Who Called Him A 'Racist Arsehead'

A former education minister will lodge a formal complaint against the "incompetence" of Sussex police today after the force investigated him for racist abuse against a constituent who he accused of self- serving "bollocks".

Tim Loughton, who was children's minister until the September reshuffle, was questioned by police after a constituent of his was described as "unkempt".

The man claimed that as he was of Romany Gypsy origin the MPs words were a "grossly offensive" racist attack.

The East Worthing and Shoreham MP told the Commons on Wednesday evening that the man had spent years making his life "hell" and the accusations of racism were unfounded.

Loughton said the man had approached him in person, in offensive phone calls, tweets and blog posts and accused him of being "an arrogant, lying, racist arsehead" and "an effing Nazi".

Loughton told MPs that the man's behaviour had reduced a former member of staff to tears when she was heavily pregnant while another constituent is suffering mental health problems as a result of the man's behaviour towards him.

The MP said that after prolonged abuse he had told his constituent to stop pursuing self- serving "bollocks" - a word the Speaker of the Commons had given Loughton special permission to use.

Loughton said that following his response he was then subjected to a police investigation which flew in the face of "common sense" and as a result of the "intensive, and intensively wasteful, use of police resources" he was making a formal complaint against his local police force.

He attacked the "incompetence with which it was handled by the police, and the failure of the chief constable of Sussex to exercise a modicum of common sense and instead support the system."

Loughton said while the majority of his constituents were appreciated, he had decided to "sack" this particular one due to his behaviour.

"A very few think they have a divine right to be gratuitously rude to MPs or other figures in the public eye, and some think they can be offensive because of their own political allegiances," he said.

"He is a serial complainer with more chips on his shoulder than McCain’s, and as someone who does not work and is on benefits, he has too much time on his hands, as well."

Loughton added: "I personally resent any suggestion that I am racist. Racism is an insidious cancer against which I have always fought. Equally insidious, though, are the forces of political correctness that seem to have been brought to bear in this instance, which can do so much damage to good race relations and social harmony and which too often triumph over common sense."

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