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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.”
Over 10,000 supporters of the ‘Stop Funding Hate’ campaign have now contacted M&S or signed a petition to ask them to pull their ad spending with the right-wing broadcaster, following incidents which included a presenter saying the LGBT+ movement included “paedos”.
Last month GB News presenter and ‘comedian’ Josh Howie referred to a statement by the Episcopalian Church calling for the “full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons” before adding “I just want to say that that includes paedos,” while shouting the last word.
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Other comments have included a discussion on trans issues on Friday 24th January, in which presenter Michelle Dewberry said: “Some of these fellas that go around dressed as women with their fake bits in their bras, they are deviants, quite frankly.”
GB News also aired claims that the trans-inclusive Progress Pride flag is associated with a “misogynistic ideology that has proven to be a direct threat to human rights” (supposedly for including trans people). A spokesperson for Stop Funding Hate told Byline Times: “Marks & Spencer has been advertising on GB News Radio… despite having made strong positive statements on both LGBTQ+ inclusion and climate. It’s had a big response from our supporters so far.”
On the petition page, signatory Michael C wrote: “I will not be buying anything from M&S unless this advertising is stopped.”
Others joined the boycott, saying: “I’ll never shop at M&S while they’re paying the far right nasty GB News” (Paul R).
Lesley D added: “I’ve shopped at M&S for over 60 years. I don’t appreciate them giving funds to advertise on GB News. Will not shop there again until they stop.” And Jonathan H wrote: “[I’m] going to shop at the Lidl nearby now instead.”
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The channel has hit back against the protests with Dewberry posting on X that Stop Funding Hate’s campaign represented “hate-filled activists…bombarding M&S’ Facebook page trying to bully them into removing advertising.”
“These hate-filled activists believe *theirs* is the only view permitted to be heard.”
At the same time, GB News itself issued an email to supporters appealing for donations because of so-called “hate-filled activists” targeting GB News advertisers.
Since the boycott campaign launched earlier this month, a Facebook page called ‘Friends of GB News’ has also been paying for advertisements praising M&S for having advertised on the channel, and encouraging viewers to ask them to keep doing so.
Over the weekend, ‘Friends of GB News’ had an ad removed from Facebook by owner Meta for failing to disclose who paid for it – as it amounted to political campaigning. The reason given by Meta for the removal was: “This ad about social issues, elections or politics didn’t include a verified “Paid for by” disclaimer, so it was removed.”
The ad said: “Support GB News and protect freedom of speech in our country,” saying – apparently seriously – that the channel provided “All of the news. None of the bias.”
A Stop Funding Hate spokesperson mocked the efforts to counter their campaign as being “definitely-100%-authentic grassroots” campaigning.
M&S did not respond to a request for comment. However, one SFH supporter got a response from M&S customer services after getting in touch. The M&S representative told them: ‘We appreciate your views on our advertising on the GB News channel. Your feedback has been noted for consideration in our regular reviews of our advertising strategy.”
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Stop Funding Hate have just smashed a £10,000 target to hold GB News to account, raising nearly £25,000. The group plans to step up monitoring of the channel which it views as an incubator of far-right ideologies.
“Like Trump, the channel has been whipping up fear about migrants, Muslims, and trans people, putting communities at risk and dragging our politics to the extremes,” the Crowdfunder states.
GB News was contacted for comment. The petition to M&S can be viewed here.
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