Statement by TUV Lagan Valley representative Samuel Morrison:
“Across Northern Ireland people were appalled by Tuesday’s judgment that Ashers Bakery had breached equality law by refusing to bake a cake with the words “Support Gay Marriage” on it.
“News in recent days that some stores may be considering withdrawing Ashers products from their shelves because of this flawed judgement and pressure from the insatiable homosexual lobby is alarming. Having read reports in the press that Tescos were considering doing this I launched an online petition late yesterday afternoon, not calling for a boycott regardless of their decision but to let them know that there are many people who want the chance to purchase Ashers products. In just 19 hours it has collected over 3,000 signatures.
“People can sign the petition here.
“I have also written to Tescos highlighting the existence of the petition to them.
“I am surprised to discover that some other parties appear divided on this issue. In Lagan Valley the UKIP candidate in the recent Westminster election Alan Love has stated publicly that he will be boycotting Ashers because of what he described as the company’s “bad treatment of a regular customer citing an obscure clause in their religion as justification”. He also dismissed a case which has serious ramifications for religious liberty and freedom of conscience as “a trivial little spat over a cake” and described any proposed conscience clause as “a clumsy instrument which would be open to misuse”.
“The Ashers case is a seminal issue in Northern Ireland. Are UKIP happy to have a representative who articulates such criticism of the company which has been persecuted by the Equality Commission?”