POLITICIANS from across the political spectrum have previously got themselves into hot water over controversial tweets.
In 2016, then Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was forced to defend his use of the N-word in a tweet he wrote while watching Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s film about slavery in America.
He tweeted: "Watching Django Unchained-A Ballymurphy N*****!"
Mr Adams admitted that his use of the offensive word was inappropriate and deleted the tweet.
He insisted he had used the word ironically and said attempts to accuse him of racism "lacked credibility".
"Like African Americans, Irish nationalists were denied basic rights," he said.
DUP East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson, who is opposed to strict Covid lockdown measures, has been frequently criticised for tweets complaining about public health restrictions.
In August 2020, he spoke out against mandatory face coverings.
He posted a photo on Twitter of himself holding an ice-cream saying: "Support local business. You can't eat when you're muzzled!"
His comment was strongly criticised by rival politicians, as well as his party colleague Pam Cameron.
Peer Lord Kilclooney, a former deputy leader of the Ulster Unionists, was condemned for a tweet in 2020 in which he referred to then US vice-president-elect Kamala Harris as "the Indian".
Ms Harris made history last year when she became the first female, first black and first Asian-American US vice president.
The Lord Speaker called on Lord Kilclooney to retract the tweet and apologise.
However, he denied his tweet was racist and did not apologise for the original comment.
In 2018, Lord Kilclooney described the then taoiseach Leo Varadkar as a "typical Indian".
He later described the tweet as a mistake but did not apologise.
Green party councillor Brian Smyth yesterday apologised for some of his historic tweets after the BBC's Stephen Nolan highlighted them.
"I'll hold my hand up here and fully acknowledge and apologise for crass tweets I've made in the past," he tweeted.
"I was very much part of the male toxicity that exists, but hope I've learnt and grown in the following years. Sorry for being a d**k."
In 2019, SDLP MP Claire Hanna was criticised by her political rivals for calling DUP MP Ian Paisley a "gob****e" following his response to a BBC reporter's question about whether he would be offering sympathy to Theresa May at Downing Street amid tensions over Brexit.
Mr Paisley replied: "I'll be asking her for milk and no sugar".
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Ms Hanna had been "very restrained but accurate in her use of language".
Mr Paisley referred to Ms Hanna's tweet in an article he wrote last year.
"Such explicit, negative, abusing and derogatory terms should cause an outcry, perhaps even a standards inquiry," he wrote.
