A group of over 100 local pubs have barred Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford from entering their businesses in response to his draconian decree that banned pubs and restaurants from selling alcohol.
The West Conwy Pubwatch in north Wales said that the left-wing leader of the Welsh government will not be welcome in their pubs for at least 18 months, arguing that Mr Drakeford’s move to ban booze violated the country’s ‘anti-social behaviour’ codes.
The group of pubs said that should the First Minister attempt to enter any of their establishments, they would call the police and add a further 6 months to the ban, according to North Wales Live.
In an open letter, the group said: “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.
“As a result of your behaviour on November 30th 2020 at the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) your actions class as antisocial behaviour for the damage caused to our members’ 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 to allow you entry to their premises,” the group of pubs declared.
In a separate open letter to First Minister Drakeford, the pubwatch group highlighted the economic damage of his actions, and the thousands of jobs he put at risk by enacting further restrictions on the already hard-hit industry.
They argued that the hospitality sector has been “singled out for exceptionally harsh and unjustified treatment” and said that the booze ban will only force people to drink with each other in their homes.
The vice-chairman of the West Conwy Pubwatch, Phillip Ashe said that the rules were ridiculous, saying that banning pubs from selling alcohol was “like opening a butchers and asking them not to sell meat.”
“I know about seven or eight premises that will not be here [next year]. They rely on Christmas to get through January and February,” Ashe warned.
“The evidence isn’t there. Between all our members, which is around 180 premises in the county of Conwy, we would have found that evidence but we didn’t and now we’re asking him to produce it,” he said.
Mr Drakeford is not the first British politician to face a pub ban over introducing lockdown restrictions. In November, the Conservative MP for Warrington South, Andy Carter, was banned for life from more than 30 pubs, bars, and clubs in his hometown over his support of the 10 pm coronavirus curfew.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here: @KurtZindulka
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