Cardiff council accused of ‘imploring all city’s residents to be Christians’ in lamp post advert
Martin Shipton
Humanists UK has criticised Cardiff council for displaying banners across the city in the run-up to Easter which feature text saying: “Trust in Jesus, He is Alive, Come to Church!’”and then feature its logo at the bottom.
The body says that while this is almost certainly paid advertising from an external organisation, this is not stated and so the impression given is very much that the council itself is imploring all its residents to be Christian.
Complaints
Over the last week since the banners seemingly first appeared, Wales Humanists has received multiple complaints about them.
Wales Humanists coordinator Kathy Riddick said: “Cardiff council serves a diverse community with a wide range of beliefs. It has a responsibility to remain impartial and not give the impression of favouring or endorsing any particular religion or belief. By failing to make sure these banners clearly state they are paid advertisements from an external group, the council is using its authority and branding to promote one specific faith.
“We call on Cardiff council to address the issue with urgency and then review its policies on lamp post banner advertising. Either it should make sure that all future adverts include prominent disclaimers regarding their origin, preventing any confusion with official council communications, or it should remove its own logo from the banners.”
Advertising policy
A spokesperson for Cardiff council responded, stating: “Under the terms of Cardiff council’s advertising policy, registered charities and businesses are permitted to purchase banner space on council-owned lamp posts. The booking of this advertising space is managed by Bay Media, an external national provider of advertising space, in compliance with the council’s advertising policy.
“The Cardiff council logo is placed at the bottom of all banner advertising coordinated by Bay Media in the city to demonstrate that the advert has permission to be on council property. It does not indicate any formal partnership or endorsement of the specific content of the advertisements.
“The booking of advertising space is an external process, and beyond setting the parameters of the overarching advertising policy, the council does not take decisions regarding individual campaigns where they are compliant with the standards articulated in the policy.”
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Other gods are available. When are they getting the same treatment same access.
Apparently when someone decides to pay for it. Seems fair enough.
No evidence yet that Satanists, Athiests, Humanists or Muslims have been told their money isn’t good enough.
We’re a Christian country Jeff. Whether you like it or not and whether you’re religious or not, our society has been built on the principles of the Judeo-Christian faiths. Other countries are available.
You wouldn’t think so, considering the self righteous bile spouted by far right “Christian Nationalists” trying to hijack Christ’s teaching to spread hatred.
Christianity is by no means the only religion that spawns extremists – as recent history shows us.
Fanny get your blinkers off. I’ve yet to find a faith, religion or any other set of beliefs that doesn’t have a set of fundamentalist cranks within it just spoiling for a “holy war” or some other similar madness.
Fanny get your gun…why do we celebrate so many executions…
Census says otherwise. We was Christian via the sword. So not Christian ironically
Wales is not a Christian country. It has not been a Christian country since the Church in Wales Act 1914 came into effect (in 1921 I think). This Act disestablished the state religion and left Wales as a secular country with no official religion.
Over the years Homo Superstitious has created, it is estimated, more than 100,000 gods!
Tell that to the Senedd, the place is cult central…totally out of order…
Hardly Christians despite them using that name. Fundamentalists of any kind of religion or belief are seriously dodgy, big mental health symptoms visible for those who choose to see. Check out the radical Islamists, Hindus, Buddhists, trans activists, green gospel ranters …… Too many to list, all ravin’ bonkers.
Are you familiar with Vance’s branch of Catholicism,
the many Christian Yeomanry Regiments are gathering into Brigades and Divisions under a Crusader flag.
The Old Firm are adopting phallic symbols rather than the Cross and the Stake…
Trwmp, Musk and Bezos must have serious issues…
So Vance is off to Rome, once, all roads led to Rome…
The blond who has the male politicians both sides of the Atlantic wooing her is going to game the next Pope with Vance…you watch…
(spot Steve Bannon for ten points and for UK political twitchers, keep your eyes open for Lammy, he is worth 50 points as a bird of another persuasion…)
It should always be clear who is paying for any advertising. No matter what the message.
If the humanists want to put up some “there’s no point to anything, do what you want” banners I’m sure Cardiff Council would gladly take their money in the same way that the Christians have paid for advertising
A bit rich for the “Humanists UK” to complain, after their campaign slogans on buses.
Not really. Their adverts didn’t have the logo on them implying that the local council endorsed the viewpoint, did they?
It’s Easter FFS!
“FFS!”? What a truly Christian response. Celebrating Easter with an egg hunt on Sunday?
From where did you get the idea that I’m a Christian?
Your reply to Jeff claiming we are a Christian country. Just assumed you were wearing your faith on your sleeve. Plus, I never thought of Adrian as a Jewish,Muslim Sikh or Hindu name, although I could be wrong.
Off to church now, will say a prayer for you.
It’s also Passover and Ramadan lasted through till the end of March ie. it was Ramadan through Lent
What a breathtakingly naive response from Cardiff Council. How on earth can they deny that sticking their logo on something makes it look like they endorse it? Somebody in their comms team needs a refresher course!
I saw quite a lot of banners in the same vain during Ramadan presumably paid for by islamic charities. Has anyone seen the Humanists response to that?
Did those banners have the council logo on? If not, then you’ve completely missed the point of the article.
No, they wouldn’t dare! But Christians are an easy target.
Yuck,better fictional characters exist. And certainly better supporters who are not fake
Few weeks ago banners on lampposts in City Road urged people to praise Allah. Good to see some Christian banners. Nothing stopping Humanists paying for banners on Lampposts. Cardiff Council is skint having spent all its money on empty cycle lanes. So needs the money.
No doubt some fundamentalist cyclists will fund a “get on yer bike” message sometime soon, just to keep things interesting.
First they came for the ‘Humanists’…
Violence begets Violence, 2000 years to this very morning, the followers of the 3 books one god brigade are as ants, baked-in killers…
Testing, testing …. religion first, politics next. Next year Cardiff will be festooned with Reform banners, and any other group which sees such expensive publicity as a good use of its election expenses. Councils own a lot of public space and should be legally required to use it judiciously and respectfully. I would like nation.cymru to publish Cyngor Caerdydd’s “overarching advertising policy” for our greater edification. Does it state that advertisers should name themselves on their own material? We want to know if there is a connection between the Senedd Prayer Breakfasts, the Leader of the Senedd Opposition’s espousal of… Read more »
A very quick search amongst Cardiff City Council’s policy documents produced this guidance on exhibitions in public spaces.
“. . . by its very nature an exhibition will involve the Council in the active promotion of the subject matter included in the display. Therefore in making decisions about the use of our publically accessible space the Council also needs to take into account its wider community cohesion and community safety responsibilities.”
“All information held by the Council is the subject of Freedom of Information and the Subject Access Requirements of the Data Protection Act.”
Exhibition Review Policy
Advertising on Council property You could benefit from advertising on over 500 highly visible, photographic quality banners located Cardiff city centre. Raised Lamppost Banners offer an unrivalled opportunity to project your message to shoppers, businesses, and visitors to the city with a conjoined footfall of over 40million each year. Raised Level Advertisements have a 2.5 times better memory recall rate than the same advert at ground level, meaning that your advertising spend works harder for you than other formats. If you’ve only got a small budget, there’s no need to worry! Raised Lamppost Banners are a flexible format which means… Read more »
For clarity, this is from Cardiff Council’s advertising pitch
For then shall burst on man’s astonished eyes
The Christian banner waving in the skies,
Borne by angelic bands supremely fair,
By countless seraphs through the pathless air.
The heavenly sky shall Christ’s proud banner form,
A sky unruffled by a cloud or storm;
The bloody cross aloft in awful pride
Shall float triumphant o’er the airy tide.
Goronwy Owen