Friday, April 09, 2010

Tory PPC backs Chris Grayling over B&B owners and gay customers

The impression that David Cameron's detoxification of the Conservatives is strictly skin deep is deepened by this story from today's Leicester Mercury:
A Tory candidate says he has "considerable sympathy" with bed and breakfast owners who wish to turn away gay couples.
Andrew Bridgen, who is standing in North West Leicestershire, made the comments after a visit to Ibstock by shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling.
Last week, Mr Grayling said B&B owners should "have the right" to turn away homosexual couples, a comment which provoked uproar from the gay community.
Mr Bridgen said: "At the end of the day our policy is, we voted for the Equality Bill and as far as people who run a business, they have to offer the same services to everyone.
"But I do have sympathy with someone who is opening up their own home to a guest.
"A public house has the right to refuse a customer and they don't have to give a reason, so I have considerable sympathy for B and B owners in this case."

1 comment:

dreamingspire said...

The irony is that a seller of goods has the right to refuse to sell, and a bus driver has the right to refuse a passenger (indeed a bus driver working for a private operator and operating a registered route has the right to ignore a bus stop, even when people are waving - as long as he/she runs the bus to the timetable on the registered route, there is no sanction if all would-be passengers are ignored).