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Churchman says sorry for 'racist' jibe over quake

A minister is at the centre of a race row after anti-English comments during a children’s school assembly.

Rev David Keddie, 67, told primary pupils that the recent earthquake which rocked parts of England “couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of people”.

The incident came weeks after the leader of the Church of Scotland criticised anti-English sentiment north of the Border.

The Rt Rev Sheilagh Kesting, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scot-land, said anti-English feeling and even banter was as big a threat to Scottish society as sectarianism.

Rev Keddie was invited to speak at Baljaffray Primary in Bearsden, near Glasgow, last week. Many pupils were English and their parents complained.

The minister later said it was a “throwaway remark” which hadn’t meant to offend.

One man who didn’t wish to be named in case his son was bullied said: “I can’t believe that someone from a church, a person who has a high social structure, would say something like this.

“There are many English parents at this school and lots of them are furious.

“Schools are trying to promote the anti-bigotry message and when someone says something like this it really is unhelpful.”

Full story at the Sunday Express.