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Campaign to defend The Midget from changing its name has more signatures than the original petition
Classic fans have leapt to the defence of a pub honouring MG’s Midget models after campaigners deeming it offensive called for the historic name to be changed.
As reported in last week’s CCW (14 February), a petition started on 31 January calling for The Midget in Abingdon to change its name currently stands at 892 signatures; however, a counter petition started on 8 February calling for the name to remain stands at 1660 signatures and received 1510 in just one week.
Opened in MG’s historic home of Abingdon by British Leyland chairman Lord Stokes in 1974, the pub was originally called The Magic Midget, this name having originally been given to MG racer EX127, in which Captain George Eyston set four records at Montlhéry in 1931.
A petition to change the name was started by Dr Erin Pritchard, a senior lecturer in Disability Studies at Liverpool Hope University. She says: ‘The term “midget” is a derogatory word used towards people with dwarfism and derived from the word ‘midge’ meaning gnat or sand-fly.
‘It was ‘a term popularised during the Victorian freak show but unfortunately continues to be used as a form of hate speech towards people with dwarfism. Greene King should recognise the offence of the term and its implications.’
Manager at the Abingdon-based MG Car Club, Andy Knott, says that the MG Midget was an important part of Abingdon’s history: ‘The name has been synonymous with Abingdon since 1929 when MG moved to the factory that they were to occupy for 50 years.
‘It was used for various cars from 1929 to 1936 and reincarnated in 1961 until the closure of the factory in 1979.
‘The 1961-1979 MG Midget was a popular sports car exported around the world. It’s still one of the most popular MGs today and Abingdon should be proud of its heritage.’
A spokesperson for Greene King said: ‘We want everyone to feel welcome in our pubs. With this in
