Tory Lord sparks fury by saying Yorkshire full of ‘leftist whingers begging for handouts’

Conservative peer Lord Moylan has been criticised after seemingly suggesting Yorkshire is full of “leftist whingers begging for handouts”.

Lord Moylan recently posted on social media site Twitter in response to criticism of the government’s levelling up agenda, made by the Yorkshire Post.

At the weekend the Yorkshire Post used a headline: “Levelling up plan ‘fails to aid rural economy'”.

Lord Moylan posted a picture of the Yorkshire Post’s front page and said: “I’m going to Yorkshire for a short break next week. Everything I’ve read recently in [Yorkshire Post] makes me fear I’m going to find it transformed into a county of leftist whingers begging for handouts.

“Let’s hope that’s not the case.”

Lord Moylan had previously been an adviser to Boris Johnson and in 2018 had called for an immigration policy that did not favour white Europeans.

He became Baron Moylan in September 2020, describing his career trajectory as ‘a series of happy stumbles’.

Following his controversial comments, Lord Moylan has since said: “I’m having a lovely time in Yorkshire and, as I expected and have always found, the people are much nicer and more sensible than Yorkshire Post makes them seem.”

Lord Moylan had previously said it would be “lurid propaganda” to print “smoking kills” and other health warnings on individual cigarettes.

I’m going to Yorkshire for a short break next week. Everything I’ve read recently in @yorkshirepost makes me fear I’m going to find it transformed into a county of leftist whingers begging for handouts.

Let’s hope that’s not the case. https://t.co/AIWZC3sT2W

— Lord Moylan (@danielmgmoylan) February 11, 2022