May 12 Legal Letter

Solicitor's Letter Issued by Lindsays LLP

12 May 2023

Dear Sirs,
Salt ‘n’ Sauce Promotions Limited t/a The Stand Comedy Club
Joanna Cherry KC
‘In Conversation With…’ series of events

We are instructed by Salt ‘n’ Sauce Promotions Limited. We refer to your letter of 8 May 2023, 
a copy of which has been provided to us by our clients. 

‘In Conversation With Joanna Cherry’
Firstly, we wish to advise that our clients have written to Fair Pley to advise that the event ‘In 
Conversation With Joanna Cherry’ may go ahead as originally planned. They are working with 
Fair Pley to ensure that may be done. They hope that your client remains keen to appear and 
we understand that Fair Pley have been/ will shortly be in touch with her office in that regard.

Unlawful Discrimination
Secondly, our clients accept that their previous decision that the event with Joanna Cherry KC 
could not proceed constituted unlawful discrimination against Ms Cherry. They take full 
responsibility for that decision. 

While accepting responsibility, our clients wish to make it clear that it was not their intention to 
unlawfully discriminate against anyone. The decision followed representations from some of the 
key operational members of our client’s Fringe team who advised that they would be
uncomfortable working at the event (due to their own philosophical beliefs) and would be 
unwilling to do so. As an employer, our clients were (and remain) keen to respect the wishes 
of their staff and not compel anyone to work at an event where they would feel uncomfortable. 

They were, however, concerned about the impact that cancelling the event could have on both 
Fair Pley and your client. 

In seeking to balance the interests and rights of the various parties involved, as well as properly 
consider the significant operational difficulties they faced in trying to proceed with the event 
without key members of staff, our clients sought external legal advice (from their previous 
solicitors). Following receipt of that legal advice, the decision was made that the event would 
not proceed.

Our clients have since approached us for legal advice in connection with this matter. Following 
receipt of that advice and an Opinion from David Welsh, Advocate, they have reconsidered and 
ultimately reversed their previous decision. They have now taken additional steps to ensure that 
the event may proceed (should your client remain willing to appear), while respecting the views 
of those members of staff who remain unwilling to work at the event.
For the avoidance of any doubt, the above is not an attempt by our clients to justify or support 
their previous decision. Instead, they simply want us to set out for your client the circumstances 
in which the wrong decision was reached and then subsequently corrected.

Apology
Thirdly, our clients unreservedly apologise to your client for their previous decision. They hope 
that your client will accept their unreserved apology.
Our clients intend to publicly acknowledge that their previous decision unlawfully discriminated 
against your client and publicly apologise to your client for that decision. They will shortly issue 
a press release addressing those points. A copy of the press release is enclosed with this letter.

Profits from ‘In Conversation With Joanna Cherry’
Finally, our clients’ intention is to donate whatever profits they make from the event to one of 
our clients’ partner charities, Edinburgh Food Project (should your client remain willing to 
appear).

Our clients hope that your client will accept their apology for their previous decision and that the 
event will now proceed as originally planned.
Given that your letter is in the public domain, our client is going to release this letter.

Yours faithfully,
For and on behalf of Lindsays LLP