Joe Standen posted footage showing a British Army veteran being turned away from The Star in Gosport on Sunday afternoon, October 25, after staff said the poppy he was wearing was political. The episode sits at the centre of a Wetherspoons Poppy Ban dispute after the company said there is no ban on poppies in its pubs.
The doorman in the footage told the man: "Really sorry mate, you can't come in with a poppy I'm afraid. It's political." He added that the pubgoer could enter if he took the poppies off and put them in his pocket, then said: "Because you'll be asked to leave and they won't serve you."
Joe Standen posts footage
Standen, a Reform UK councillor for Paulsgrove, shared the video on the Spotted Pompey Facebook page and told the Daily Express he was "absolutely shocked and sickened" by what he saw. He said: "As a former Royal Marines Commando and current Councillor I am absolutely shocked and sickened to hear that an Army veteran has been refused entry into a Wetherspoons for wearing a poppy!"
He added: "Our servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice must never be treated as though their sacrifice is something to be embarrassed about or hidden away. This whole episode is shameful."
Wetherspoon response in Gosport
Wetherspoon said the company has been a long-standing supporter of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and that poppies are for sale in its pubs, including The Star. The spokesperson said: "Wetherspoon has been a long- standing supporter of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, with poppies for sale in our pubs, including the Star. There is no ban on poppies in Wetherspoon pubs."
The company said: "However there were some standard security measures in place today, as a result of demonstrations in the town." It added: "Unfortunately, some members of the public, including some wearing poppies, did not gain entry to the pub."
Police advice at 1700
The spokesperson said: "The pub closed to all customers, on advice of the police, at 1700 and remains closed today." Wetherspoon also said: "We apologise to any regular customers who have been inconvenienced by today's events and look to forward to welcoming everyone back tomorrow."
The clash came during a weekend when 400 demonstrators marched through Gosport to protest against small boat arrivals. In that setting, the refusal of entry turned a routine visit into a public dispute over whether the poppy itself had been treated as a problem, even as Wetherspoon said some customers wearing poppies were turned away because of security measures rather than any ban.
