Sir Winston Churchill should be replaced with rats on new banknotes, the RSPCA has said.
Last week, the Bank of England confirmed controversial plans to replace the current set of banknotes featuring historical figures such as Sir Winston with British wildlife.
The announcement was widely panned – including by both Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and his Lib Dem counterpart Sir Ed Davey.
But Geoff Edmond, of the RSPCA, praised the decision to showcase Britain’s native wildlife.
He said the banknote announcement was an opportunity to include animals “who don’t always make the ‘most popular’ lists”.
He named pigeons and rats as “overlooked” or “misunderstood” animals, which could be showcased on the banknotes.
“What about the pigeons who have been our friends for thousands of years, or rats, with their amazing memories, or even gulls, with their amazing levels of intelligence? They are all fascinating wild animals in their own right – and deserve recognition too,” Mr Edmond said.
He added: “Britons love wildlife – and animals like foxes, gulls, rats, and pigeons are clever and adaptable, and each have their own interesting personality.
Rats have been suggested by the RSPCA as an overlooked or misunderstood animal which could feature on new banknotes
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GETTY
“Rats have been trained to detect disease and locate landmines, while pigeons played key roles in both World Wars, carrying messages – and we think that’s worth celebrating.”
The Bank of England has not yet announced which animals will be featured on the banknote, but has assembled an “expert panel” to create a shortlist on which the public can then vote.
Household pets will not be included on the banknotes, however.
Mock-ups designed by the animal welfare charity feature a pigeon on the £5 note, a fox on the £10 note, a gull on the £20 note, and a rat on the £50 note.
WINSTON CHURCHILL TO BE REPLACED – READ MORE:
Sir Winston Churchill would be replaced by a pigeon, and Alan Turing by a rat, in this mock-up
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RSPCA
Mr Farage had warned the move was “the definition of woke” and “absolutely crackers”.
While Sir Ed Davey added: “I can’t think of a worse time to do this with a war waging in Europe.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the decision to remove the wartime leader was “erasing our history”.
But the Bank of England said the notes have to be reissued in order to reduce fakery, with the new notes set to feature “the latest anti-counterfeiting technology”.
The current set of banknotes will be replaced to defend against counterfeiters, the Bank of England has said
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GETTY
The decision to replace historical figures with wildlife was the result of a public consultation announced last year.
The theme of nature won with a majority of 60 per cent, beating out architecture and landmarks at 56 per cent, and notable historical figures at 38 per cent.
It ends a 50-year history of historical figures being featured on the banknotes, when William Shakespeare was the first person other than the monarch to be depicted.
Since then, a range of historical figures including inventor James Watt and author Charles Dickens have featured.
In 2019, campaign group “Banknotes of Colour” petitioned to replace Turing, who killed himself after being castrated for his sexuality, with an ethnic minority figure.
Tory MP Helen Grant introduced a Bill in 2019 to urge the Bank of England to introduce a minority face to banknotes.
Her Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament.