(hat tip: Mark Pack at LDV)

Our Glorious Leader has taken a stand. Bless him, he's written an open letter to Heinz:

The depiction of a same-sex kiss in this advert was innocent both in tone and content, and I am shocked that you decided to withdraw it. While I understand that some people in Britain today are uncomfortable with same-sex relationships, such prejudice should not be condoned by an organisation of your size and stature.

The sight of two men kissing affectionately should not be considered offensive or controversial. This is particularly the case in an advertisement which was so rich in irony and double-meaning. The decision to withdraw it has not only offended many gay, lesbian, transgender - and straight - people, it also represents a backward step in attempts to combat homophobia in Britain today, not to mention a collective loss of humour.

I am asking you to reverse this decision and reinstate the advert.

For those of you who want to keep up the pressure on Heinz, there's a selection of online petitions - two at petition the PM (a lonely 5 and a depressing 32 signatures respectively) and a slightly less depressingly-unpopular one at petition online (over 10,000 signatures).

Possibly more effectively, Andrew Reeves has supplied the contact details for the important folks at Heinz UK:

Nigel Dickie, Director of UK Corporate and Government Affairs
Telephone: 020 8848 2726
E-mail: Nigel.Dickie@uk.hjheinz.com
Heinz’s free phone number: 0800 528 5757

It'd be interesting if lots more people DO sign the petition the PM ones, though, because once it gets above a certain number they have to respond to it, and it'll be hilarious to see how they weasel their way out of actually condemning Heinz for this.