Yorkshire Tea went viral last night with a Black Lives Matter (BLM) tweet after responding to a right-wing commentator.
Laura Towler said that she was “dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea [had] not supported BLM.”
The brand, which is owned by Harrogate-based Bettys and Taylor Group, rebuked her:
“Please don’t buy our tea again.
“We’re taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.”
Read more:
- How a Harrogate group set up a Black Lives Matter movement
- See what happened when Harrogate held its own silent protest
Other tea brands like PG Tips and Teapigs got involved with the row by showing #solidaritea with Yorkshire Tea.
PG Tips added: “If you are boycotting teas that stand against racism, you’re going to have to find two new tea brands now.”
Please don't buy our tea again.
We're taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.
#BlackLivesMatter— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) June 8, 2020
So far, Yorkshire Tea’s response has been retweeted nearly 12,000 times with around 6,000 responses.
Many of the people responding praised the tea brands for its stance but some condemned them for “virtue signalling.”
Advocacy group Hope Not Hate has previously named Laura Towler, who is from Yorkshire, among a list of influential and “racist alt-right” YouTubers.
