Sandals makes about-turn on gay couples

Sandals, the Caribbean resort company, is reportedly to lift its ban on gay couples after the London mayor Ken Livingstone banned the firm from advertising on the London Underground system. According to The Guardian newspaper, the announcement came shortly before a spokesman for the company was to appear on a radio show alongside Barbara Roche, a former government minister who has previously criticised the Sandals policy. Mrs Roche reportedly received the news in a statement by the company’s political lobbyist, Brown Lloyd James. She is quoted as saying: “This is a major victory. Only a few weeks ago, the company was sticking to its policy of discriminating against gay couples. This was a disgraceful policy. It was totally unacceptable to exclude same-sex couples.” The Sandals website does not yet refer to the change of policy but The Guardian stated that had received confirmation of the about-turn. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd