Rod Liddle In 'Pretend Disabled' Twitter Row After Sun Column

Is This Rod Liddle's Most Offensive Article Ever?
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Rod Liddle, the controversial Sun writer, has caused upset after his latest column about the "pretend disabled".

Liddle writes in today's newspaper that his aim for 2012 is to "become disabled."

And the reason why?

Being disabled is incredibly fashionable. The number of people who claim to be disabled has doubled in the past ten years. And who can blame them? Not only do you get money from the Government and don't have to go to work - but if you play your cards right you might get one of those badges which lets you park wherever you want.

He also describes M.E as "nothing too serious".

Now there has been the inevitable reaction on Twitter and blogs.

Liddle, like BBC's Jeremy Clarkson, trades on being a controversial media figure - he even has a 'controversy' section on his Wikipedia page.

It describes in 2009 how his Spectator blog featured a piece about Harriet Harman, deputy leader of the Labour Party.

Liddle began the article by asking: "So — Harriet Harman, then. Would you? I mean after a few beers obviously, not while you were sober."

Liddle asserted two months later: "It was supposed to be a parody of guttural, base sexism", a joke he assumed readers would understand. Surprised by a negative response from a number of female journalists he continued: "And then I suppose I came to the conclusion - gradually - that I must have got it wrong."

In November Liddle was in deep water with the Stephen Lawrence trial after a piece he wrote in The Spectator was referred to the judge for possible contempt of court.