Backlash over pub’s ‘Abolish the Assembly’ poster
A CARDIFF Bay pub has been asked by its owners to take down an Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party poster after the image sparked calls for a boycott.
The Packet, one of the longeststanding pubs in Cardiff, prompted a backlash after images showed posters supporting the party in its windows.
Dozens of people said they’d never visit the pub again after the apparent show of support for the party, which wants to get rid of the Senedd.
Now, the operator of the pub confirmed it has asked the licensee to remove the posters.
After an image of the poster was shared on Twitter on Thursday dozens hit out at the move, with some calling for a boycott of the pub which is a short walking distance from the Senedd.
The pub is a favourite of Senedd staff, with Bethan Sayed MS writing on Twitter: “Lots of Senedd staff went there. Never will again.”
Another added: “What an idiotic decision that is to put those up. That’s most of their business gone. Won’t catch me in there again.”
One added: “Won’t ever go there again” while another person on Twitter said: “Shame. Used to like that pub. Will never cross the threshold again”.
The pub describes itself on Facebook as “friendly” and “one of the last remaining traditional pubs left in Cardiff Bay”.
The Abolish party has sparked controversy several times ahead of the Senedd election, including when one candidate called Black Lives Matter a hate group and defended golliwogs and another who was accused of sending an “appalling” tweet to Plaid Cymru politician Leanne Wood.
The party recently released its manifesto ahead of the election in May.
The seven-page document opens by promising the party has “one policy” – predictably, to abolish the Welsh Assembly – now known as the Senedd.
“We should be one United Kingdom again, with one UK government”.
But it goes on to say it would repeal the minimum alcohol pricing ban, return taxation powers to the UK Government and use money from charging for prescriptions to “help the NHS recover from Covid”.
It wants “fewer public sector jobs to be reserved for Welsh speakers”.
The Packet is named after the packet ships that carried mail to and from British outposts and has been a part of the docks’ history since 1864.
Although the docks are now unrecognisable, The Packet is one of the few remaining institutions from that time when the area bustled with trade.
Reputedly, there’s an unwritten rule that if a sailor is in the venue when the tide is out they should be given free lodging for the night. On Tuesday the pub’s operators Marston’s confirmed it had already asked the licensee to remove the posters.
The Packet has been approached for comment.