finance
Bank of England Replaces Churchill and Other Figures on Banknotes with Nature Themes
The Bank of England decided to feature British animals, plants, and landscapes on the £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes. A 2025 letter from the Cabinet Office's Office for Equality and Opportunity had urged greater representation of women, disabled people, ethnic minorities, and LGBT+ individuals.
Jul 14, 7:45 AM·1m read1 source
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The Bank of England decided to replace images of Winston Churchill on the £5 note, Jane Austen on the £10 note, J.M.W. Turner on the £20 note, and Alan Turing on the £50 note with images of British animals, plants, and landscapes. ZeroHedge reported that the decision followed a public consultation in which a majority favored nature themes, partly for security reasons on new polymer notes.
In summer 2025, officials from the Office for Equality and Opportunity within the UK Cabinet Office sent a letter to the Bank of England's chief cashier. The letter argued that current historical figures on banknotes reflected limited dimensions of British identity and called for greater representation of women, disabled people, ethnic minority communities, and LGBT+ individuals to send a strong signal of progress and recognition.
The office is part of the Cabinet Office and was led by Bridget Phillipson at the time.
Shadow minister Alex Burghart stated on or before July 12, 2026, that Labour tried to deny any involvement in the cancellation of Winston Churchill and other British heroes but that government officials had been caught red-handed conspiring with the Bank of England to remove them from banknotes.
He added that banknotes should feature the greatest Britons, the historic figures that unite the country, and should not be chosen on the basis of Labour's equality laws.
