Blue Marlin
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- Paul Sabapathy, was lord lieutenant for West Midlands for nearly 8 years
- Wrote that Pakistanis should make more of an effort to integrate into UK
- Mr Sabapathy apologised 'wholeheartedly' for his remarks
- The royal household have praised Mr Sabapthy's 'tremendous' service
The Queen's representative in the West Midlands has resigned after emails containing controversial comments about the Pakistani community were leaked.
In the messages, Paul Sabapathy, the lord lieutenant for the region, is reported to have said there was a 'lot of work to do' to teach Pakistanis 'basic common courtesy and civility'.
The email reportedly said: 'They talk to themselves and do not engage with the wider community. They are living in the UK not Pakistan.
'Whilst being rightly proud of their Pakistani culture and heritage they need to explain better and engage more with their non-Pakistani brothers and sisters if they want their children to succeed as British Pakistani citizens.'
The Guardian added that he later apologised 'unreservedly and wholeheartedly for the offence I have caused to the Pakistani community and others'.
The email was apparently sent after he attended an event in Birmingham marking Pakistan Independence Day on August 14.
Sabapathy, who is originally from Chennai, India, has notified Buckingham Palace of his intention to step down from the role which he has held for nearly eight years.
A statement from the Palace said: 'We understand that Paul Sabapathy has informed the Cabinet Office of his decision to step down from his role as lord lieutenant in the West Midlands.
'The royal household would like to acknowledge the tremendous work done by Mr Sabapathy since his appointment in 2007 to support the work of the Royal Family and to bring together and work with the communities in the West Midlands.'
Sabapathy is reported to have said there was a 'lot of work to do' to teach Pakistanis 'basic common courtesy'
The main duties of lord lieutenants are to arrange and receive royal visits to the region, and present medals and awards on behalf of the Queen
Mr Sabapathy was born in 1942 and moved to Britain in 1964 where he qualified as a chartered management accountant. He worked for engineering firm IMI plc, retiring as assistant managing director of the subsidiary IMI Titanium in 1996.
In 2004, he was awarded a CBE for services to businesses and education in the West Midlands.
He was the first non-white person selected to take the role of lord lieutenant, whose first duty is to 'uphold the dignity of the Crown'.
The main duties of lord lieutenants are to arrange and receive royal visits to the region, and present medals and awards on behalf of the Queen.
source: Queen's representative Paul Sabapathy quits over comments about Pakistani community | Daily Mail Online
