Tuesday 4th September 2012 by David Renshaw | Photos by WENN.com

Phil Lynott's Mother has criticised the Republican party in America for using a Thin Lizzy song without permission, claiming her son would have opposed the party and their politics.

'The Boys Are Back In Town', Thin Lizzy's classic single, was played by the Republicans when Romney was confirmed as the opposition Presidential candidate earlier this year.

Philomena Lynott, now 81, has hit out at the use of her son's song, saying that she believes he would have opposed the Republican's anti-gay, pro-rich policies.

"As far as I am concerned, Mitt Romney's opposition to gay marriage and to civil unions for gays makes him anti-gay – which is not something that Philip would have supported. He had some wonderful gay friends, as indeed I do, and they deserve equal treatment in every respect, whether in Ireland or the United States." Lynott told Hot Press.
 
"Neither would Philip have supported his policy of taxing the poor and offering tax cuts to the rich, which Paul Ryan is advocating. There is certainly no way that I would want the Lynott name to be associated with any of those ideas.
 
Elaborating on her anger, Philomena added: "There is nothing I can do about it except express my views, but I do want to be clear that I would not want Philip's music to be used in any way that could hurt a single person, and this is the effect of what happened with Paul Ryan using and abusing my son's music in that way. A lot of fans and musicians are very angry about it and I can fully understand why.
 
Lynott went on to state that her son would have been a Barack Obama supporter if he were alive today. "There is a black president of America, which to me – as it would have been to Philip, as a proud, black Irishman – is wonderfully symbolic. I have a lot of time for Barack Obama, so to hear 'The Boys Are Back in Town' being appropriated by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan in their campaign against him is deeply upsetting."

Nicki Minaj hit the headlines earlier today (Sept 4) after appearing to endorse Mitt Romney in the lyrics to her verse on Lil Wayne's latest mixtape.

Phil Lynott died of pneumonia in 1986 after battling drink and drug addiction. Listen to 'The Boys Are Back In Town' below:

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