M&S boycott due to ads on GB news.

[pentangles]

Just seen this on youtube, so had a google.
It appears to be causing a bit of a stink, wonder what Ocado think...

"High street retailer Marks & Spencer, which claims to be an LGBTQ+ inclusive retailer, has been hit by a boycott campaign over its decision to place advertising on GB News, which has been involved in a series of hate speech controversies.
Campaigners say the retailer’s decision to advertise on the channel, contradicts its claims to be “celebrating the LGBTQ+ community” and “making M&S a place where all LGBTQ+ people feel they belong.”

https://bylinetimes.com/2025/02/24/ms-hit-by-customer-boycott-over-gb-news-adverts-after-presenter-labels-lgbtq-people-paedos/

I don't understand why a retailer has to be openly supportive of any demographic (be that lgbt or anyone else). Their job is to sell products to people (all people - everyone shops at M&S. The only exclusionary factor is whether you can afford to! It's not a retailer's responsibility (or business) to be political. If they are sensible, they will focus on what their customers want and confine themselves to fulfilling those requirements. Re M&S I think their customers want decently made (ideally British made),well designed clothes that will last the test of time and aren't ridiculously overpriced. And to try them on in private, changing rooms. That's it.

Personally, I don't care where they advertise - I care more about where they are making their clothes and whether workers are paid properly. I care about branch closures and quality reflecting prices and whether they have enough stock in my size in store. I suspect most other customers are the same.

You read and believe Byline News OP?

Ohhh kayyy…

Get a life.

GB news speak sense. The tide is turning which is lucky as the west is on its absolute knees.

I apologise for my spelling mistake. It should of course be escorted, not excorted.

Hello @Divebar2021 - I want
to boycott american goods too. Do you have a link to a list you can share? Thank you in advance :)

@ClementsR2024

sorry I’ve only just seen you post. I don’t know of a site that features US products but I didn’t really go looking for one. I started with food products and used an AI to formulate the top US food & drink manufacturers sold in the U.K. and to find British or European counterparts. Some of them you will know like Heinz and Coca Cola but some like Schweppes vary by country ( in the U.K. it’s owned by Coca Cola). We’ve pretty much been able to swap easily to own brands so that was no problem. My next search was for sportswear and then jeans which happened to be items I needed. I’ve uncovered some interesting U.K. small companies so it’s a win win. I’m not claiming to be perfect with any of it but it’s better than nothing. ( if you don’t want to use a US AI like ChatGPT you can use a European one called Mistral - download the app)

How about businesses that sell clothes and food, keep out of politics and just concentrate on selling stuff their customers want at prices they can afford.

I'm bloody sick of businesses thinking they need to take a side on social issues - just bloody be good at selling stuff people want to buy.

GB news has actually done a fair bit to support the LGB, particularly Andrew Doyle.

The issue once again is the forced teaming of the LGB with TQ, some parts of which fully support MAP.

Can we not think of this a bit differently? Maybe M&S have placed their advert to encourage people that aren't allies to actively shop in a place where they can explore a different perspective?

But on a serious note. Someone has likely made a business decision to say the demographic that watches that channel is likely to shop in M&S so let's advertise to them. I don't think ideology had anything to do with it.

Ridiculous. I hate how you get slaughtered if it isn’t the ‘left’ way of thinking. I’m straight down the middle and it’s utterly pathetic

My former boss is boycotting them for this reason. He also thinks Imane Khelif is a woman. I like their food too much to boycott them I’m afraid 🐽

Yes I bought an amazing choccy bar that someone recommended but it was £7.50!!

Well, given that Kemi Badenoch has said "President Zelensky is a hero" and that her "heart went out" to him after his row with US President Trump on Friday, I imagine GB News will be giving space to people saying the same sort of thing.

@Verv What’s MAP? The last I checked it was LGBTQ+. When did that MAP get added and what do they even stand for?

Not sure who Kemi Badenoch is. But I’ll take your word for it. If the king has repeatedly invited Zelensky, there’s obvious public support for Ukraine etc., then I’m sure GB News knows their demographic.

I don't think GB News is only watched by poor people? I only know one person who watches it though, he's a shop owner and his kids went to private school, daughter is an optician. He literally sits there in the shop watching it all day. I'm not sure whether it's his beliefs that they say on there or if he's just passively staring at a random channel out of boredom?!

Anyway, I don't really care where a major retailer advertises. I wouldn't take it that it affiliated directly with every channel and publication that it used as an advertising platform.

Think of when billboards were a big advertising thing. If the biggest most prominent billboard in the town happened to be attached to the wall of a UKIP regional office, I wouldn't think the adverts on the billboard were supporting UKIP.

Kemi Badenoch is the leader of the Conservative party and AKA the Tories.

I'm a little surprised that someone who posts on political issues doesn't know that.

Or doesn't read the linked story on the BBC News website and see the first words of it i.e. "Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch..."

Minor Attracted Person. Its the sanitised phrase for paedophile.
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/allyn-walker-professor-paedophile-virginia-b1960427.html