Mark Carney banned from Pontins

Former Bank of England guv’nor Mark Carney left this fair isle in 2020 after a successful stint at the Old Lady.

But if he was planning to come back here on his summer holidays, he wouldn’t be welcome at the resorts run by holiday park operator Pontins.

Via an amazing and horrifying scoop today in the i:

Holiday firm Pontins has agreed to change its working practices and culture after a whistleblower revealed it was operating a blacklist as part of a system of routine discrimination against Gypsy and Traveller families. 

An investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that the company had been using the blacklist of mainly Irish surnames as part of a policy of refusing bookings by Gypsies and Travellers to its holiday parks. 

Here’s the full list of names. Note the lovely YOU SHALL NOT PASS:

So aside from the Carney clan, we guess WWE chairman and chief executive Vince McMahon, legendary film director Spike Lee, and FT Alphaville founder Paul Murphy would have also been banned. A sad state of affairs for the latter, whose own dad we are reliably informed once worked in the Blackpool resort.

Luckily for the other two Irish people on this byline, their summer holiday plans are still safe.

And the other Alphavillain? Well, having spent many happy summers at Pontins Pakefield as a young man, he won’t be returning any time soon.

The good news for the FTAV editor is that Poles are still welcome.