Tory minister backs Cookham B&B owners who turned away gay couple (From Bucks Free Press)
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Tory minister backs Cookham B&B owners who turned away gay couple
9:48pm Saturday 3rd April 2010 in News
Mike and Susanne Wilkinson
THE Conservative shadow home secretary has suggested B&B owners should “have the right” to turn away homosexual couples, a national newspaper has reported.
Secret tapes obtained by the Observer newspaper suggest Tory Chris Grayling backs people who run B&Bs in turning away guests from their properties.
The news comes weeks after a Cookham couple hit the headlines after refusing to allow a gay couple to stay at their B&B.
Mike and Susanne Wilkinson turned away John Morgan and Michael Black as they felt letting a homosexual couple stay was against their religious beliefs.
The Wilkinsons, who run the Swiss B&B, were reported to the police.
Mrs Wilkinson told the couple it was “against her convictions”.
Today the Observer website quotes Mr Grayling at a meeting of the Centre for Policy Studies.
He is quoted as saying: "I think we need to allow people to have their own consciences. I personally always took the view that, if you look at the case of should a Christian hotel owner have the right to exclude a gay couple from a hotel, I took the view that if it's a question of somebody who's doing a B&B in their own home, that individual should have the right to decide who does and who doesn't come into their own home."
But he added: "If they are running a hotel on the high street, I really don't think that it is right in this day and age that a gay couple should walk into a hotel and be turned away because they are a gay couple, and I think that is where the dividing line comes."
Comments(24)
demoness
says...
8:35am Sun 4 Apr 10
Personally I find born again christians to be repulsive people and would have no trouble telling them where to go. :))
Is that okay then?
Agniesca
says...
11:12am Sun 4 Apr 10
Voyeur
says...
11:25am Sun 4 Apr 10
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There is a world of difference between a "Minister" and a "Shadow Minister"!
Sticking up for Britain
says...
2:10pm Sun 4 Apr 10
HeartyR
says...
2:14pm Sun 4 Apr 10
J B Blackett
says...
3:46pm Sun 4 Apr 10
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And even more significantly we've also suffered enough.
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If the media are not careful , it won't be long before politicians and 'religious' leaders will stick their noses in. Then there even will be more suffering and divisiveness - they know how to stir people up , do they not ?
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Let the people involved sort it out then let it go.
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Live and let live (visit Squirrel Lane , Wycombe next time)
RGDS
J B Blackett
says...
3:58pm Sun 4 Apr 10
J B Blackett wrote:Ooops ! too late ! Look out here ; they come , mouthing off as per usual.
They've suffered enough , both parties involved in this.
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And even more significantly we've also suffered enough.
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If the media are not careful , it won't be long before politicians and 'religious' leaders will stick their noses in. Then there even will be more suffering and divisiveness - they know how to stir people up , do they not ?
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Let the people involved sort it out then let it go.
.
Live and let live (visit Squirrel Lane , Wycombe next time)
RGDS
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Don't get taken in by politicians and 'religious' people - you'll end up paying over the odds for what they offer - it's your money or your life
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Even Dick Turpin was more honest than those pernicious gangs and he got hung in York !
Voyeur
says...
4:16pm Sun 4 Apr 10
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My take on this is that is people accept money from people staying in their B&B, then it is no longer their "home" but a "place of business".
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They should then abide by the law operating on businesses which states that people should not discriminate on certain grounds, including sexual orientation.
J B Blackett
says...
4:34pm Sun 4 Apr 10
Kiki1
says...
5:56pm Sun 4 Apr 10
chris740
says...
6:25pm Sun 4 Apr 10
if they walk together or push the trolly together they must be gay.
its all a big joke . get over yourselfs
if you open a b&b you will get all walks of life in the door
chesham20
says...
6:50pm Sun 4 Apr 10
Bogart
says...
7:10pm Sun 4 Apr 10
I find that that rather disturbing.
Bogart
says...
7:15pm Sun 4 Apr 10
J B Blackett
says...
7:22pm Sun 4 Apr 10
Kiki1 wrote:Precisely !
I believe Dick Turpin was hanged, rather than hung.
wayneo
says...
8:58pm Sun 4 Apr 10
Indidently, if the two clowns who have made such a thing about this are concerned that the law has been broken, why did they not respect the laws that were attributed to Homosexuality?
ferrellcat
says...
11:25pm Sun 4 Apr 10
demoness
says...
1:32am Mon 5 Apr 10
Kiki1
says...
2:02pm Mon 5 Apr 10
chesham20 wrote:It would depend if they were married or not. If they booked a double bed but were unwilling/unable to confirm they were tied in either marriage or civil partnership, then a hotelier should refund their deposit. Saves a lot of paperwork should they later be found to be committing adultery or some other break in the law.
I wonder what would happen if 2 BLACK people turned up ? What is the difference to this religious couple. Doesn't the bible say treat everyone as equal. Maybe they should read it again as they may well have missed that bit. thank you and good night.
Btw, what has the colour of one's skin got to do with it, or was it just the first stereotype you could think of ?
Edgar Brooks
says...
3:12pm Mon 5 Apr 10
J B Blackett
says...
3:54pm Mon 5 Apr 10
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We've all (ie everybody) suffered enough.
Sorry about that ; Rgds
On the other hand , it's all very educational, one could say.
mikesmith
says...
6:32pm Mon 5 Apr 10
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As far as I can see, they can run their 'business' how they like. It may be that they are 'opening their own home out', but as for a pub landlord, indeed ANY business, they have the right to serve any person they please, and if their behaviour is not suitable for the standards of the establishment then so be it.
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Modern society has chosen to moralise on certain issues but is appears now on sex this is 'free-for-all', and woe betide anyone who is against this. The couple should be entitled to maintain this understanding if they feel so to do.
Kiki1
says...
8:57pm Mon 12 Apr 10
Exceptions to regulations 4 and 5
6.—(1) Regulation 4 does not apply to anything done by a person as a participant in arrangements under which he (for reward or not) takes into his home, and treats as if they were members of his family, children, elderly persons, or persons requiring a special degree of care and attention.
(2) Regulation 5 does not apply to anything done in relation to the disposal or management of a part of any premises by a person (“the landlord”) if—
(a) the landlord or a near relative of his resides, and intends to continue to reside, in another part of the premises.
So, it looks like the Wilkinsons and any B+B owner living on the premises, are completely entitled to refuse any person(s) without fear of a compo claim. Now on to see if the dynamic duo from Huntingdon are financially cuplpable for the loss of business and unwarranted intrusion, libelling within the gutter press, the waste of police time in both counties, and the hate mail (including death threats).
Elmo says...
12:10am Sun 4 Apr 10