The Bank of England removes references to several well-known figures—including Winston Churchill, Alan Turing and Jane Austen—from the text on some banknote design elements, according to documents reported by multiple outlets. The changes are linked to internal advice that some proposed or existing figures were “not representative of the UK’s cultural and natural diversity.” The reported documents describe how officials received this guidance and adjusted the list of individuals associated with the banknote notes accordingly. The reports focus on the rationale for the revision rather than on any broader decision-making process details, and they do not indicate that the figures are erased entirely from the UK’s public history. The Bank of England’s review appears to target what is considered representative of the country’s diversity in the context of banknote imagery and accompanying references. The documents referenced in the reporting characterize the advice as coming from discussions about representativeness, leading to the removal of those names from relevant notes.
Bank of England removes Churchill, Turing and Austen from certain notes after diversity review
The Bank of England removes references to several well-known figures—including Winston Churchill, Alan Turing and Jane Austen—from the text on some banknote design elements, according to documents rep...
- Documents reported by outlets say the Bank of England removes Churchill, Turing and Austen from notes associated with banknote design.
- The stated reason in the documents is that these figures are described as “not representative of the UK’s cultural and natural diversity.”
- Officials are reported to have been advised to adjust which individuals appear in the banknote notes based on diversity considerations.
- The reporting cites internal guidance and documentation rather than a public-facing explanation in the sources provided.
- The reported change relates specifically to text or notes tied to banknote presentation.
Documents show officials were advised that notable British figures were viewed by some as 'not representative of the UK's cultural and natural diversity'.
2 months agoDocuments show officials were advised that notable British figures were viewed by some as 'not representative of the UK's cultural and natural diversity'.
2 months ago
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