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Call to Boycott M and S

17 April 07 - MPs want shoppers to think twice about shopping in Marks and Spencer after controversial comments by the singer Bryan Ferry, who's used by the company to advertise its menswear.

Talking to Welt am Sonntag, he said the Nazis "knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves...I'm talking about the films of Leni Riefenstahl and the buildings of Albert Speer and the mass marches and the flags. Just amazing - really beautiful."

The Roxy Music frontman has since apologised after praising Nazi iconography in the German magazine.

But Labour MP Andrew Dismore is one of four MPs who've signed a Commons motion condemning his remarks.

He said: "Marks and Spencer ought to look into his contract. We've seen in the past, with big companies where celebrities have been employed on their PR side, have misbehaved stopping those contracts. Look at what happened with kate Moss. I think it reflects very badly indeed on Marks and Spencer."

Marks and Spencer, however, have issued a statement in response to the Commons motion criticising them saying, "We very much welcome Bryan Ferry's clarification and unreserved apology concerning his recent comments. None of the models we work with on menswear are on an ongoing contract. We have not yet decided our plans going forward for menswear advertising."

Jewish leaders in Britain condemned the comments and called for Marks and Spencer to drop Ferry as a model.

In a statement Ferry said he was "deeply upset" by the publicity surrounding the interview.

He continued: "I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused by my comments on Nazi iconography, which were solely made from an art history perspective. I, like every right-minded individual, find the Nazi regime, and all it stood for, evil and abhorrent."

Lord Janner, former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, said he was glad Ferry had said sorry.

He told the BBC: "His original remarks were thoroughly offensive. He was insensitive, it was ill-conceived and wrong. I'm extremely glad that he's seen that for himself and he's decided to apologise."

Jody Thompson & Jason Waller

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Mark/Leeds
His remarks were pulled out of context, but he still apologized because of the 'insensitivity' of his remarks in this politically-correct world. In fact, anybody with half a brain can realize that Mr Ferry was misunderstood, and that M & S has nothing to do with Nazis.But what I CANNOT stand are these MPs, precisely because I understand them. They are simply troublemongers who want to take advantage of the situation and stir up sentiment to gain attention and popularity for themselves. In this respect they are no different from Hitler.Perhaps they appreciate Nazi art more than Mr Ferry does.

Mikey Hughes Clydebank
I actually buy and sell original items from the Nazi regime, and don't agree with the politics, but take away all the murder and you are left with interesting bold dramatic design. My customers like the stuff for the latter not the hate. Mikey Hughes Clydebank

David Cunningham, Glasgow
Shutup the lot of you. Jewish leaders, Lord Janner go and do what you do best. Bryan Ferry, musician, artist, writer, educated, intellect. Need I go on. Anyone of the calibre of Bryan Ferry, in my opinion has every right to speak their mind.

leeds
the daily mail reading, right wing apologist always uses the pc gone mad nonsense. the iconography of nazism is about fear and oppression, not beautiful by any means, no doubt the apology was when he realised how his tour would be affected

durham
nazi views, pro hunting lots of reasons to not support ferry or his odious son,l i havent shopped at m&s since he began work for them

London
What ever happened to freedom of speech and dare I say it.... thought. Why can't Ferry say he likes the iconography of the Nazi's he didn't say he was in favour of it's politics. In fact many people with an artsitic eye would probably agree his comments.The same could be said of the Soviet and East German regime, Their iconography is awesome. Very powerful stuff. But does that make me a communist. Plus didn't Stalin kill more people than Hitler yet expressing a taste for 1930's, 1940's Soviet iconography is seen as cool. Just ask Franz Ferdinand....Where's the equality there.

Paul /Nottingham
another example of political correctness gone mad. no sane individual would have been offended by these remarks as they were clearly from an art perspective. no wonder politicians can never give yes or no answers they are too afraid to say anything deemed to be controversial.

Steve, Gothenburg
Bah! I'm enthusiastically anti-racist but in my view one should be able to discuss the aesthetic of even something as abhorrent as the Nazi regime. It seems like Ferry has been caught up in a knee jerk reaction. It seems pretty clear from the comments in the article that Ferry was referring solely to the Nazi symbology and aesthetics. No matter how much one hates the ideas behind them, there is no denying the power that they have had and their lasting legacy. If one can't express an admiration of that, then that's taking political correctness too far.

Dylan, Sheffield
Bryan Ferry should not demonised for his comments. He was merely observing the fact that the Third Reich promoted an artistic, theatrical sense of politics based on myth, ritual and art. I wholly agree with what he said.