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I Pity the Fool! Northern Ireland Assembly Member Says Sorry for Mr T Fancy Dress

Twitter reactions to the surfacing on social media of ten-year-old photos of South Belfast MLA Paula Bradshaw in fancy dress as A-Team hero B.A. Baracus ranged from bewilderment to offence to amusement.
Sputnik

A member of the Northern Ireland Assembly has apologised after photos of her in fancy dress as A-Team star Mr T appeared on Social Media

Paula Pradshaw said sorry for the "serious lapse of judgment" after the Sunday Life newspaper contacted her about the revelation. They show the Alliance Party MLA dressed as B.A. Baracus, Mr T's character in classic 80s action TV series The A-Team.

Bradshaw said she was "deeply embarrassed I ever thought such an inappropriate costume was a good idea and I apologise for any offence caused".

​​"I am proud to stand on my record of tackling the very real issues of racial discrimination and prejudice faced by minority ethnic communities here and abroad every day," she insisted.

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Bradshaw said the photos of her and her husband Ian Parsley were taken at a fancy dress house party in 2010.

Her gaff follows in the footsteps of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was forced to apologise last year after photos and videos of him partying in 'blackface' emerged amid the Black Lives Matter movement.

The photos caused a stir on social media - although many comments were about the poor quality, rather than poor taste, of Bradshaw's costume.

 

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