World's oldest record store bans Morrissey sales over far-right support

Spillers Records, the world’s oldest record shop, has banned Morrissey albums from sale.

The shop in Cardiff made the decision due to Morrissey’s support for the far-right political party For Britain, including wearing a badge with the party’s logo when performing on a US talk show this month.

“I’m saddened but ultimately not surprised that Spillers is unable to stock Morrissey’s releases any longer,” said the shop’s owner, Ashli Todd. “I only wished I’d done it sooner.”

Morrissey is preparing to release his latest solo album on Friday, with covers including Joni Mitchell, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, performed with guests featuring members of Green Day, Grizzly Bear and Broken Social Scene.

Anne Marie Waters, leader of For Britain, has described Islam as evil and as “a culture that does not fit with ours”.

Waters thanked Morrissey this week for raising the profile of the party. “I can tell you that the traffic to our website exploded with the story breaking of you wearing the For Britain button badge,” she said. “I hope to meet you one day.”

Related: 'I feel like I've been had': Morrissey's collaborators respond to his politics

The former Smiths frontman has become an increasingly controversial figure in recent years for a string of remarks and his support for the far right. He voiced support for EDL founder Tommy Robinson in the wake of his sentencing for contempt of court, saying: “It’s very obvious that Labour or the Tories do not believe in free speech … I mean, look at the shocking treatment of Tommy Robinson.” He described halal meat preparation as evil and “requires certification that can only be given by supporters of Isis”; he told the NME in 2007 that “the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears … the gates of England are flooded. The country’s been thrown away”; and in 2010 described Chinese people as a “subspecies”.