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Britain Queen's India-born representative quits over controversy
Highlights
An India-born representative of the British Queen Elizabeth II has resigned after his leaked personal emails showed him saying British-Pakistanis must be taught \"basic common courtesy and civility\".
An India-born representative of the British Queen Elizabeth II has resigned after his leaked personal emails showed him saying British-Pakistanis must be taught "basic common courtesy and civility".
Paul Sabapathy, Britain's first non-white Lord Lieutenant representing the Queen in the West Midlands for eight years, made the remarks in an email after attending an event at the Pakistan consulate in Birmingham on August 14 to commemorate Pakistan's Independence Day, the Guardian reported.
Apparently unhappy about the lack of respect he and colleagues were shown as the Queen's representatives, he said, "Pakistanis are lovely people individually but there is a lot of work to do to teach them basic common courtesy and civility."
He went on, "They talk to themselves and do not engage with the wider community. They are living in the UK not Pakistan. Whilst being rightly proud of their Pakistani culture and heritage they need to explain better and engage more with their non-Pakistani brothers and sisters if they want their children to succeed as British Pakistani citizens."
Sabapathy, who was born in Chennai and moved to the UK in 1964, was the first non-white Lord Lieutenant.
The Queen's Lord Lieutenants are the representatives of the crown for each county in the United Kingdom. Men or women of all backgrounds, they are appointed by the Queen on the
advice of the Prime Minister.
Sabapathy's remarks were seemingly prompted by a group of 20-25 Pakistani men talking as he tried to address the Independence Day event.
According to the Guardian, a growing number of MPs spoke out about his remarks, with one Pakistani-origin MP saying the lord lieutenant had been offensive and must apologise.
Sabapathy yesterday issued a statement saying he had decided to stand down and wanted to offer an unreserved apology.
He said, "I wish to apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly for the offence I have caused to the Pakistani community and others, by the contents of my private email.
"I have today written to all those who received my original email to express my sincere sorrow and regret. I have asked for their forgiveness in the hope that my comments do not damage relationships between the many communities of the
West Midlands."
A palace spokesperson said in a statement, "We understand that Paul Sabapathy has informed the Cabinet Office of his decision to step down from his role as lord lieutenant in the West Midlands.
"The Royal household would like to acknowledge the tremendous work done by Mr Sabapathy since his appointment in 2007 to support the work of the royal family and to bring together and work with the communities in the West Midlands."
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