Hobbycraft employee badge - no terfs, no Tories

[ItsCoolForCats]

Another example of why bringing your whole self to work is a terrible idea.

Hobbycraft seems to be busy trying to mitigate the fallout, presumably because they know which demographic spends the most money there.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/politics/5359520/dundee-hobbycraft-trans-row/

Saying feminists aren't welcome is pretty evil. They're basically saying they disagree with women having rights.

😂

When I worked in Tesco many years ago, I had my hair in the obligatory ponytail with a little bit of tinsel wrapped round the scrunchie. I was told to take it off as it was too festive. It was Christmas eve! 😂

That's nice, dear.

NB. Look up the accurate definition of 'fascist'.

Is anyone else here getting the same Rik from 'The Young Ones' vibe as I am?

Witness his loud cries of 'FASCIST' to anyone whose views he dislikes (and every one of them is out of the context of actual fascism).

I know he's a parody, but it's quite entertaining how Sociology has since died on its feet as an academic discipline.

Boomshanka.

When you misuse the word 'fascist' like this, you change the meaning. It means that we no longer have the word when we need it.

Fascism is a real thing, it has a coherent definition, and it is serious.

Calling the Conservative party 'fascist' makes you look like an idiot, and that doesnt matter much, but what does matter is that when real fascism turns up, nobody will take warnings seriously.

The rule of law is an interesting one. Twenty years ago my rather superficial introduction to law required a literal interpretation at first resort, otherwise a purposive interpretation.
When the application of law (if afforded) relies on judicial interpretation it can be interesting to see how that interpretation happens and the ramifications of it.

Who decides who the fascists are? You right?
Your post says more about you and your blinkered black and white absolutist world view than it does about the people you condemn.
You understand that during WW2 they dehumanised Jews just like you are doing to anyone who doesn't share your political views. It didn't go well for the human race. When you believe that people should be denied basic service and dignity because they have different political views to you, then you are no better than the name you call people to denigrate them.

I remember a young workmate being told not to wear a football scarf to work. All such emblems being verboten. They worried about riots breaking out in the office 😂

I was served by that employee. Ha! If only they'd known my views 🙄

It's absolutely ridiculous. The badge thing. Surely it's being worn to be goady. A customer isn't going to think "Oh dear, I better go elsewhere" and scuttle off. They'll do as I did (there were no badges as far as I saw that day) and shop like a normal person, try not to cringe too obviously at the employee's gloating at their not very amazing abilities when it comes to measuring, pay and get out.
Or they'll do as Bex did and ask the employee in question about the badge. If it's not to be a discussion point, don't fucking wear it. Or is it only fawning discussions that are allowed? It really is rather pathetic.

The authoritarian left are frightening. It gets easier and easier to understand how the evils done in the name of communism came about.

'No Tories' is alright because they're 'vermin'? Really?

What if I felt similarly about another group? Can I wear a No Labourites badge to my customer-facing job? No Greens? No Reform? No SNP?

If your answer is no to the parties you approve of, but yes to those you dislike, you really need to reflect on what actual diversity means and why you're against it.

It is this utter fuckwittery that will let Reform in, so good luck with that Right Side Of History Self Congratulatory All People Not As Good As Me Are Vermin people. You will reap what you sow you utter planks.

I'm somewhere to the left of Corbyn on most issues, but calling Tories vermin is disgusting. Dehumanising people never leads to anything good. What's more, it's that kind of attitude that's pushing people even further right.

I despair of the modern left as a group. They seem to think they're the only ones who are ever right, and that makes it fine to bully, abuse, and generally be vile to anyone with a different opinion.

I misread the song title as 'don't lick my bum'

I mean... seems just as likely!

What has become of the BBC (I know, i know).

In Glasgow, never mind football scarves, people are cautious about wearing certain shades of blue, or green, for fear of stirring up sectarian anger.

The pub I worked in was very carefully neutral, and decorated in red tones only, to avoid this issue. A football scarf to work would be insane in that context.

What have the ‘right’ ever got right about anything? They pretty much are the epitome of having the wrong opinions on everything. Hence why they are hated.

I agree with you. That poster called Tories "parasitic vermin". Are they aware of who else used that term pretty often back in the 1930s? To dehumanise a group and create an "other"?

But they'll be thinking the exact same thing about the left, no? Would you be happy if they said everyone on the left was vermin?

Whether they have the "right" opinions or not (who decides what's right or wrong?), there's no justification for using dehumanising language against them. That's what fascists do.

"Hated" - and yet were democratically voted in to run the country for 14 of the last 15 years.

You really do live in a bubble, don't you?

So it’s wrong to have women leaders? Wrong to have black or brown leaders?

If you’re making the point that this country is inundated with proto-fascists then you won’t see any disagreement from me.

Does it hurt that tempest is right?

Behold the broad church tolerance of “the left”

Exactly. If Reform gets in - and the swing to the right across much of the western world now makes that a realistic prospect - it's the left I shan't forgive.

The left was traditionally the ground on which the battle for equality was fought. Instead of this we've found a looparound of the horseshoe effect and a mirroring of the two. The 'left' has comandeered certain ground as progressive, and in doing so enabled a censorious, 'cancel' culture of violence and threats against those who dared to speak against it. They should have paid far more attention to their Marxist and Foucauldian overlords (but who can read critically when their energy is taken up in chanting slogans)?

Marx got it right. You can shut people up and oppress them for so long - in modern times by aggressors taking a DARVO approach and making themselves out to be victims whilst moderates with legitimate questions are labelled 'fascist' and far right. But you can only keep the lid on the pressure cooker for so long. Sooner or later they'll revolt, and that's what we see happening here.

Ironic that the left has made itself into everything it purportedly hated just to bring people into line with its view. It's a cynical, exploitative move and one I find unforgiveable.

I didn't leave the left. The left, left me.

You need a better idea of what right and left even means:

• Where the terms come from: “Left” and “right” began as seating positions during the French Revolution and became a shorthand for broad political orientations.
• Typical emphasis on the left: Greater priority on equality and collective solutions to social and economic problems, often favouring a bigger role for the state, welfare provision and reform.
• Typical emphasis on the right: Greater priority on individual liberty, markets, private property, tradition and social order, often favouring a smaller state and stronger roles for families, communities and civil society.
• It is a spectrum, not boxes: Parties and people often mix positions issue by issue, and what counts as “left” or “right” shifts over time and by country.

The left is more collective and the right is more individualistic. Neither is better than the other, and people and societies are broadly spread along the spectrum. Clearly as both sides keep getting elected.

What has the right ever done for us? @Swiftasthewind ?

well I'll tell you.

Benjamin Disraeli (1874–1880)

Passed landmark social reforms: Public Health Act 1875 (improved sanitation) and Artisans' Dwellings Act 1875 (slum clearance).
Advanced education via Education Act 1876, promoting compulsory attendance for ages 5–10.

Marquess of Salisbury (1886–1892, 1895–1902)

Resolved Irish land issues through Land Purchase Acts (1891, 1896), enabling tenant farmers to buy land.
Enhanced education and welfare via Education Act 1902 (under Balfour), creating local education authorities and funding secondary schools.

Arthur Balfour (1902–1905)

Implemented Education Act 1902, modernizing schools and laying foundations for universal secondary education.
Contributed to the Entente Cordiale (1904) with France, improving diplomatic relations.

Stanley Baldwin (1923–1924, 1924–1929, 1935–1937)

Led economic recovery from the Great Depression via protective tariffs and abandoning the gold standard (1931) under the National Government.

Winston Churchill (1951–1955)

Oversaw post-war recovery, ending rationing (1954) and fostering a consumer boom.
Strengthened NATO alliances

Harold Macmillan (1957–1963)

Presided over economic growth (“You’ve never had it so good”), with 30% GDP rise and full employment.
Advanced peaceful decolonization: independence for Ghana (1957), Nigeria (1960), and others, while preserving Commonwealth ties.
Reformed the House of Lords via Life Peerages Act 1958, introducing merit-based peers and allowing women to sit.

Edward Heath (1970–1974)

Secured UK entry into the European Economic Community (1973).
Introduced direct rule in Northern Ireland (1972) and brokered the Sunningdale Agreement (1973) for power-sharing.

Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990)

Reduced inflation from 27% (1979) to 4% (1983) through monetarist policies.
Led victory in the Falklands War (1982), reclaiming the islands.

John Major (1990–1997)

Replaced the poll tax with Council Tax (1993), simplifying local taxation.
Ratified the Maastricht Treaty (1993), embedding the UK in the EU with opt-outs (e.g., euro, social chapter).

David Cameron (2010–2016)

Delivered the 2012 London Olympics, regenerating East London and showcasing UK soft power.
Expanded free schools and academies, improving standards and parental choice.
Legalized same-sex marriage (2013), advancing LGBTQ+ equality.

Theresa May (2016–2019)

Triggered Article 50 (2017) and secured the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Boosted NHS funding by £20 billion annually (2018 Long Term Plan).
Committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 (Climate Change Act amendment, 2019).

Boris Johnson (2019–2022)

Completed Brexit with the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (2020).
Rolled out one of the world’s fastest COVID-19 vaccination programs (2021), administering 140M+ doses.
Provided £2.3 billion in aid and military support to Ukraine (2022).

Rishi Sunak (2022–2024)

Halved inflation from 11.1% (2022) to 4% (2024).
Cut NHS waiting lists by 200,000 procedures (2024).
Authorised £2.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine (2024), including long-range weapons.