Banning First Minister from pubs condemned as ‘personal abuse’ by Senedd member

A Senedd Member has attacked the decision to ban the First Minister from pubs in the north of Wales as “personal abuse”.

Blaenau Gwent MS Alun Davies took aim at a front page by the Daily Post newspaper which read ‘Barred: Do not allow this man on the premises’ alongside a picture of Mark Drakeford.

“This is appalling,” Alun Davies said. “I questioned this decision today but to publish nasty and vicious personal attacks such as this is disgusting. You should be ashamed.”

He later said that he believed in “decency in public discourse” and those defending the attack should be “ashamed” for “defending this personal abuse”.

The Daily Post front page for December 2 on the news pubs in Conwy county have put the Wales First Minister on their Pubwatch list after be banned them from selling alcohol #skypapers pic.twitter.com/hE11NKPg0u

— North Wales Live (@northwaleslive) December 1, 2020

The front page was published after the First Minister was barred from more than 100 pubs by West Conwy Pubwatch group. They said Drakeford would not be allowed to enter their members’ premises for at least 18 months.

It comes as almost 15,000 have signed a petition against new measures due to come in Friday that will not allow the hospitality sector to sell alcohol and will force them to close at 6pm.

‘No entry’

West Conwy Pub Watch wrote an open letter to the First Minister telling him there will be no welcome for him in their part of town, on pain of being “ejected” from the premises.

“All licensees have a legal duty under the Licensing act of 2003 to ensure that disorderly, argumentative, violent behaviour and antisocial behaviour does not occur on or around their premises and to prevent the occurrence of criminal offences,” the letter states.

“As a result of your behaviour on November 30th 2020 at the Senedd Cymru your actions class as Antisocial behaviour for the damage caused to our member’s premises.

“The licensees of the West Conwy Pubwatch have jointly decided that in order to discharge their duty as referred to above they are exercising their right not allow you entry to their premises.

“Should you attempt to ignore this notice and enter any of the licensed premises listed on our website the assistance of police will be sought, if necessary to eject you from the premises and an extra six months will be added to your ban.”