The Baroness and the Marks and Spencer Reversal.

so M&S can get lost. So disappointing that they prioritise some men over the whole of their core customer base.

Oh well, there are plenty more businesses that I can spend my money with.

I say keep the reviews up - unless they have something to be ashamed of?

That’s annoying but unsurprising, yesterday was first time my sparks card has been swiped in a year, it can go back into retirement.

Glad they have removed/toned down the pervy reviews although I’m still astonished they ever got published in the first place

That Daily Mail article doesn't read well for M and S. Teenage girls being fitted for bra's in changing rooms accessed by men,.
There is no justifying it, especially if it is not a requirement in law.
No wonder they are in trouble, and policies like this won't help them. Who would consider going for a bra fitting there (when we can do such things) after reading that?

How disappointing.

I guess it’s M&S; they were late to jump on the woke bandwagon and they’re likely to be late to fall off it.

And I don't think it is embarrassing for the Baroness, it could well be a tactical move. M&S now have to tell a peer of the realm that she is wrong, when almost everyone in the country agrees with her.

They've also had to explain themselves and it's resulted in coverage in the Daily Mail the tone of which isn't positive, not great when they're struggling anyway

Well it’s all publicity isn’t it, and a handy reminder for when the shops all open up again fully.

Boo-you M&S!

I think it could be a disconnect between the board and those setting the policy. The Baroness may have been chatting to the Chairman who either is set to change things back and this hasn’t filtered back or he has miscommunicated to the Baroness.

To be honest, probably the best thing to do is to write again to M&S and tell them again that we are unhappy with allowing males into female changing rooms.

That is my intention today.

Kinell.

There's a Zeitgeist rapidly approaching, and they're just about to unequivocally miss it.

I was momentarily relieved until I read the woke response from M&S. I hope the baroness makes a new post correcting herself. Boycotters may shop off the back of this.

I wonder if it's just a bit weaselly, given that changing rooms aren't actually open at the moment. They'd be piled on and abused if they actually stated no men in women's changing rooms, however they self-describe, and perhaps they care more about that than their bottom line (no pun intended).

And I don't think it is embarrassing for the Baroness, it could well be a tactical move. M&S now have to tell a peer of the realm that she is wrong, when almost everyone in the country agrees with her.

Same. There is life after M&S. Like a PP I've been shopping at more independent stores since I stopped buying things from M&S, the pandemic has also had an influence on that, but I don't really feel a need to go back. Bloody overpriced anyway.

For anyone who wants decent comfy pants - fruit of the loom... Seamless ones too!

Oh it seems I may have been right to be cautious...

I’m happy not to shop there ever again - I’ve managed just fine for over a year now and I used to shop there a lot.

As you were Holly, today they're denying they gave any consideration to women's views at all

This is so good to hear; I am cautiously optimistic.

But I can’t say I’m going to rush back to them, tbh. I still can’t forgive them for not giving a shit about the extremely important principles that so many women brought to their attention. They failed completely to protect the rights and protections of women and girls who shop with them, and I’m still very angry with them for the arrogance with which they acted.

But I may come back if they demonstrate strongly that they will not be moved in future.

Perhaps she'll now publish the response she received.

It may be that someone at M&S has erred and the internal woke brigade have pounced, demanding confirmation that any old bearded fella can have access the ladies changing rooms. Why it would make sense for M&S to worry about the handful of people this would affect (which we know includes fetishists) over the dignity of millions of women who drive their sales, I don't know. Maybe they've vying for a Stonewall Diversity award or something.

They say gender - not sex. 🙄

This is very confusing. I thought self-id was off the table? If so any outlet having mixed sex changing could be challenged. I could understand if M & S said those with GRC but self-id is surely ditched?

But if the rules say you can be there then we haven’t a leg to stand on. I wonder why the Baroness thought they had reverted?

My view is that if you’re the sort of man who ignores women’s feelings about privacy you have proved you really shouldn’t be allowed in women’s spaces.

It is a good response and it's always worth making. No "genital checks" proposed. Turn it back to males being asked to have respect for women's privacy and dignity. If certain of them cannot, well that's quite telling.

I don't understand why Emma Nicholson posted that on Twitter and why everyone has responded as if this is fact. It's embarrassing. Clearly she jumped the gun and now we look stupid.