East Londoners launch petition against Gail's bakery over chief's 'right-wing' views
East Londoners launch petition against Gail's bakery over chief's 'right-wing' views
PA
East Londoners have turned against Gail’s in a rejection of the “right-wing” views of the upmarket bakery chain’s boss.
Part-owner and chairman Luke Johnson, who holds pro-Brexit and anti-lockdown views, is also facing criticism amid fear Gail’s could price out independent cafes.
More than 440 people have opposed the cafe and bakery opening in Walthamstow Village by signing a petition which aims to “safeguard the soul of our beloved neighbourhood”.
The petition said: “Gail’s, although respected for their quality, bring a risk of overshadowing our much-loved local stores due to their massive scale and advertising reach.”
East Londoners aren't happy with having Gail's in their neighbourhood
PAIt added: “This could lead to decreased visibility and pedestrian traffic towards independently run businesses, threatening their very existence and dismantling the character and diversity crucial to Walthamstow’s charm.”
Adrian Spurdon, a barista at an independent coffee shop, also claimed Johnson’s views clash with the politics of Walthamstow.
He told The Times: “We’ve just had this big, diverse counter-protest to protect Walthamstow from the far-right and I doubt Luke Johnson would support that.
“He is very different to the people here. His views are not the same.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Counter protesters at an anti-immigration protest in WalthamstowPAWalthamstow, which is represented by arch-Remainer Stella Creasy, voted decisively to stay in the EU with just 36 per cent backing Brexit.
Gail’s first opened in 2005 and now has 130 shops across the UK.
The upmarket bakery is associated with middle-class areas, with Princess Kate once being a regular customer at Gail’s Battersea branch.
The Liberal Democrats launched a target seat campaign which looked to unseat Blue Wall Tories located close to a Gail’s bakery.
The upmarket bakery is associated with middle-class areas, with Princess Kate once being a regular customer at Gail’s Battersea branch
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However, Gail’s looked to open up a new bakery in Walthamstow Village after years of gentrification.
The Runnymede Trust and the Centre for Labour and Social Studies claimed in a 2021 report that Walthamstow Central had “severely gentrified” since 2010.
Johnson already sparked a flurry of lefty-luvvies to take to social media to declare a boycott.
Remainer lawyer Joylon Maugham posted a thread slamming Johnson as he looked to rally support from anti-Brexit Twitter users.