Iconic Monty Python star accused of racism for saying London is 'not really an English city' anymore. But he hits right back.

John Cleese — the former Monty Python cast member and giant of British comedy 

— is being branded a racist for daring to repeat his observation that London "is not 

really an English city" anymore. 

Some years ago I opined that London was not really an English city any more

Since then, virtually all my friends from abroad have confirmed my observation

So there must be some truth in it...

I note also that London was the UK city that voted most strongly to remain in the EU

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 29, 2019

How did London's mayor react?

London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who's been lambasted for his knife-control 

policies amid a stabbing epidemic in the city — tweeted that Cleese's comments 

make him "sound like he's in character as Basil Fawlty." It's a reference to the sitcom

 "Fawlty Towers" in which Cleese plays a character known for his "incompetence, 

short fuse, and arrogance" guaranteeing that "accidents and trouble are never far 

away."

"Londoners know that our diversity is our greatest strength," Khan continued. "We 

are proudly the English capital, a European city, and a global hub."

How did others react?

An op-ed writer for the Independent called Cleese's comments "xenophobic" and that

 they "reveal a sad truth about aging comedians."

TV comedy writer James Felton blasted Cleese in a mocking tweet: "Hi I'm John 

Cleese. Today I'll be complaining there are too many immigrants in London from my 

home where I live in the Caribbean."

Cleese last year said he was moving to the Caribbean.

What did Cleese have to say next?

Cleese offered a follow-up tweet saying, "I suspect I should apologize for my 

affection for the Englishness of my upbringing, but in some ways I found it calmer, 

more polite, more humorous, less tabloid, and less money-oriented than the one that 

is replacing it."

As for detractors who said Cleese's London comments were hypocritical given his 

time spent in the Caribbean, the funnyman was only too happy to clarify things.

"It might interest those people who seem to think my remarks about London are 

racist as opposed to culturalist, to consider that what I like about spending time in 

Nevis," he tweeted in regard to the Caribbean island. "Nevis has excellent race 

relations, a very well educated population, no sign of political correctness."

Cleese also pointed out that less-attractive aspects of any culture should be taken into account:

Some years ago I opined that London was not really an English city any more

Since then, virtually all my friends from abroad have confirmed my observation

So there must be some truth in it...

I note also that London was the UK city that voted most strongly to remain in the EU

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) May 29, 2019

Anything else?

Cleese has long been impatient with those who push political correctness and a 

supposed right to never be offended, saying in 2016 that "all humor is critical. If we 

start saying, 'Oh, we mustn't criticize or offend them,' then humor is gone, and with 

humor goes a sense of proportion — and then, as far as I'm concerned, you're living 

in '1984.' So the idea that you have to be protected from any kind of uncomfortable 

emotion is one I absolutely do not subscribe to."