People have defended William Sitwell, the former Waitrose Magazine Editor, saying he should not have been made to resign over his comments about vegans.  

Some have suggested that what he said was not discriminatory and, as his comments were only made in an email, he shouldn’t have been sacked/made to resign. 

However, he was acting in capacity of Editor and therefore his response should have been far more professional.  His tone and suggestions were jokey and not befitting to an Editor of a mainstream publication.  

As an experienced Editor he should have known that nowadays you have to be very careful about what you write in emails and on any form of social media.  Anything you write or say could be made public and used against you.  

In relation to discrimination, veganism is protected under The Equality Act 2010 on the grounds that veganism is an ethical and philosophical belief.  William Sitwell’s comments have brought negative publicity to the Waitrose brand and his resignation/departure is not a surprise.

This occurrence highlights the fine line between having a sense of humour and going too far.