A university lecturer who quoted a speech from Trainspotting was accused of committing a hate crime.

James Mooney, a film and philosophy lecturer at Edinburgh University, was reported to police for writing on Instagram: ‘Spent this morning telling a group of visiting American students that we don’t really hate the English, but that they are wankers. Welcome to Scotland.’

It was a reference to the famous scene where Ewan McGregor’s character, Mark Renton, rants about Scotland being ‘colonised’ by the English.

How offensive (Picture: Jamesmooney/Instagram)

‘Some hate the English. I don’t,’ he says. ‘They’re just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonised by w**. Can’t even find a decent culture to be colonised by.’




He posted a photo on Instagram of American students watching the 1996 film based on Edinburgh author Irvine Welsh’s book.

Police Scotland confirmed they had received a report about ‘xenophobic comments’ being made online last month.

The force said their officers had carried out a full investigation and concluded no crime had been committed.

Police Scotland confirmed they had received a report about ‘xenophobic comments’ being made online last month. (Picture: Jamesmooney/Instagram)

Mr Mooney has worked at the university for 16 years and also regularly guest lectures at Sweden’s Jönköping University and Arcadia University in the US.

In December 2017, he was also appointed access and outreach development director at the university’s Centre for Open Learning.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘On Monday 11th February, police in Edinburgh received a report of xenophobic comments made online.

‘A full investigation was conducted and it was established that no crime had been committed. However, the matter was recorded as a hate incident.

‘No further police action was required.’

Edinburgh University declined to comment. The post is understood to have been reviewed by senior staff and deemed not to breach the university’s social media policy.

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