London, March 13 The Bank of England has sparked a debate with an announcement that historical figures, such as former Prime Minister Winston Churchill and writer Jane Austen, will be replaced by British wildlife on the next series of UK banknotes.
The theme of nature received the highest proportion of nominations in last year's consultation, the Bank of England revealed earlier this week.
It is set to hold a second consultation later this year to gather the British public's views on the specific wildlife they would like featured on the new series.
"The main reason for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase resistance to counterfeiting, but it also provides an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK," said Victoria Cleland, Chief Cashier at the Bank of England.
"Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective, and it means we can showcase the UK's rich and diverse wildlife on the next series of banknotes. I look forward to hearing about the public's favorite wildlife during our upcoming summer consultation," she said.
However, political leaders from across the political spectrum reacted strongly to this shift in imagery. While Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch branded the move as "erasing our history," Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said he "can't think of a worse time to do this, with a war raging in Europe."
"I'm a huge fan of Winston Churchill. I think he is widely considered to be this country's greatest wartime prime minister," said Badenoch, referring to her predecessor as the leader of the Conservative Party.
"Changing the pictures to put wild animals on them is a silly thing to do. I absolutely do not support it," she said.
Davey took to social media to highlight that Churchill helped defeat fascism in Europe: "He deserves better than being replaced by a badger... we should be celebrating Britain's defiance of the Nazis."
"I love nature as much as anyone else, but for goodness sake, let's celebrate our wonderful British wildlife, sure, but Winston Churchill helped save our country and the whole of Europe from fascism," he said.
The Lib Dem leader found himself in rare agreement with the far-right Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, who dubbed the proposals "PC (politically correct) mad and loony."
"I think it's absolutely crackers," Farage declared on social media.
The Bank of England, an independent body, noted that the nature theme received the highest proportion of nominations in its public survey last year. It stated that wildlife images would also be most effective for developing banknotes with security features that are easy for the public to "recognize and distinguish."
The change to wildlife imagery provides an opportunity to celebrate another important aspect of the UK, it said.
A panel of wildlife experts from across the UK will now help to create a shortlist of wildlife for the public to choose from in the second survey round.
"The wildlife of the UK is not separate from our culture. It is part of our football crests, our folklore, our coastlines, and our childhoods. Giving it space on something as symbolic as our currency feels both overdue and significant," said Nadeem Perera, wildlife broadcaster and panel member.
The current series of banknotes features portraits of Churchill on the five-pound note, Austen on the 10-pound note, painter JMW Turner on the 20-pound note, and mathematician Alan Turing on the 50-pound note.
"The Bank of England is a very, very wonderful institution, and it has complete rights over who it puts on its banknotes," said Emma Soames, granddaughter of Churchill.
"I don't think anybody, certainly not in my family, thought that this was something for life," she said, expressing hope that her grandfather would be replaced by a "very brave animal" on the new five-pound notes.
The Bank of England admitted that while cash usage has declined over the past decade, it is still the preferred payment method for about 15 per cent of people and is used by many more.
After last year's consultation, it commissioned focus groups with members of the public across the UK when it emerged that nature was "viewed most positively" as a potential theme for banknotes.
'Architecture and Landmarks' was the second most popular theme, followed by 'Notable Historical Figures' and 'Arts, Culture and Sport'.
The Bank of England noted that it will be a few years before it issues the next generation of banknotes, incorporating the latest anti-counterfeiting technology. The new series will continue to feature the customary portrait of the British monarch.