Thousands petition to keep pub’s ‘offensive’ name

Thousands of people have signed a counter-petition to keep an Oxfordshire pub’s name the same after complaints it was offensive.

The Midget, a Greene King pub in Abingdon, was named after the MG Midget EX 127 car once manufactured in the town.

In the original petition, Dr Pritchard said Greene King ‘should recognise the offence of the term and its implications’.

Dr Pritchard, who spoke with Greene King about the matter, said: ‘The term midget is a form of disablist hate speech, which I and most other people with dwarfism, have experienced as a form of bullying, including having it shouted at us by strangers.

‘It is a term that should be consigned to the history books.’

Speaking about the refurb and name change, Zoe Bowley, managing director of Greene King pubs, said: ‘Pubs are at the heart of communities and are all about bringing people together. I would like to thank the MG Car Club for welcoming us into their headquarters in Abingdon to explain the history of both cars and their importance to the area.

‘This really helped us to see that the new name needed to pay tribute to another icon of Abingdon and continue to tell the important story that the MG factory played in the town.’

She said the Greene King was grateful to Dr Pritchard ‘who has engaged with (the chain) on the offence and hurt the name ‘Midget’ can cause.

‘We hope that making the change in this way helps to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past while simultaneously ensuring our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome.’

Andy Knott, MG Car Club manager, said: ‘For the MG Car Club, it was essential to preserve the pub’s connection to the marque.

‘With MG moving to Abingdon in 1929 and building iconic cars for 50 years, it’s become a significant part of the town’s history. The name MG still draws thousands of enthusiasts to Abingdon every year.’