Clegg apologizes for using word "nutters"

Posted By Joshua Keating Friday, April 30, 2010 - 1:57 PM Share

In the wake of "Bigotgate," British candidates are apparently not taking any chances with political correctness. Nick Clegg has apologized to mental health groups for use of the word "nutters" to describe people who are, well, nuts:

The remark was made in the second debate, broadcast on Sky News on April 15. Mr Clegg said that the Tory leader had aligned himself in Europe with ''nutters, anti-Semites, people who deny climate change exists and homophobes''.

Responding to a complaint from the charity Stand to Reason he wrote to director Jonathan Naess: ''You have raised concern about my use of the term 'nutters' in the debate and I am sorry for any offence caused.

''I am acutely aware that the stigma of mental health causes great distress to many people and my use of language that could be considered derogatory was entirely unintentional.''

Granted I've mostly heard the word used in BBC comedies rather than real life, but "nutters," unlike, say, "retarded," seems like it's more often used to describe irrational behavior than those who have mental conditions. I suspect Clegg could probably have gotten away with this one.

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