All of Labour’s 130 UK councils have said they are listening to the demands of Black Lives Matter protesters by drawing up a list of controversial statues in their communities which could be ripped down.
Dozens of memorials honouring colonial figures have been targeted for removal by activists, who yesterday crossed another name off their nationwide hit-list.
The monument of 18th Century slave dealer Robert Milligan was uprooted from its spot on West India Quay in London’s docklands to the cheers of spectators.
And it appears that the next target could be a statue of Sir Thomas Picton, a slave owner who earned the nickname ‘Tyrant of Trinidad’ after serving as a governor there. The monument stands outside Cardiff city hall and the council’s leader Huw Thomas has backed the campaign to rip it down calling it an ‘affront’ to black people in the Welsh capital.
And in Edinburgh SNP city council leader Adam McVey said he would feel ‘no sense of loss’ if a statue to Henry Dundas, who delayed the abolition of slavery, was removed, amid mounting calls for action in the Scottish capital.
Plymouth council said a public square named after slave trader Sir John Hawkins would be renamed. Mayor or London Sadiq Khan is also conducting his own review of statues in the capital.
Dozens more monuments are expected to fall after all 130 Labour-led authorities in England, Wales and Scotland have come together to promise to ‘review the appropriateness of local monuments and statues on public land and council property’.
A statue of Robert Milligan outside the Museum of London Docklands near Canary Wharf is pictured being removedyesterday by workers following the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis, London
The statue is seen being removed by workers. A spokesman for the museum said it ‘recognises that the monument is part of the ongoing problematic regime of white-washing history’
Workers, some pictured wearing face masks, use a crane to remove the monument to Milligan, as police officers and members of the public can be seen looking on from behind a cordon
A worker sits down as the statue of slave owner Milligan is taken down at West India Quay in east London. It comes as Labour councils across England and Wales will begin reviewing monuments in their towns and cities
Workers taking down the statue of Milligan, after a protest saw campaigners tearing down a statue of a slave trader in Bristol
Workers using tools during the removal of the Milligan statue outside the Museum of London Docklands in West India Quay
Four workmen pictured standing next to the empty plinth after the statue was removed in West India Quay, east London
A picture posted to Twitter by John Briggs, far right, the mayor of Tower Hamlets, captioned: ‘Tonight we removed the statue of Robert Milligan at West India Quay #blacklivesmatter’
Police officer stand in a row in the background as workers take away the bronze statue of Milligan following its removal
The 130 Labour councils won the blessing of Sir Keir Starmer’s central party, but senior Tories have lined up to admonish the behaviour.
Andrew Rosindell, Conservative MP for Romford, told MailOnline the wave of statue scrutiny was being driven by ‘a politically-correct gang of anarchists who hate everything about this country’.
Campaigners have also set their sights on statues on private property, such as the monument of Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University, where yesterday crowds of protesters rallied.
Workmen were yesterday seen uprooting a statue of Robert Milligan from its spot on West India Quay in London’s docklands to cheers from spectators. Protesters had drawn up a hit list of 60 ‘racist’ monuments to be taken down, including Milligan’s.
Amid growing pressure to act, the charity Canal and River Trust worked with the Museum of London and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to remove the bronze figure of the Scottish merchant who owned 526 slaves at his Jamaican sugar plantation.
Statues glorifying slave traders and colonialists have come into sharp focus in recent days, as part of a broader movement inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that started in the United States following the death of George Floyd on May 25.
On Sunday, protesters in Bristol tore down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it in the harbour, receiving a mixed reactions of celebrations from anti-racism campaigners and protestors while some politicians and officials questioned the ‘anti-democratic’ manner in how the statue was taken down.
And in Oxford yesterday more than 1,000 demonstrators have demanded the removal of a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes, an imperialist who provided philanthropical support to Oriel College in Oxford University where the monument stands.
The Canal and River Trust, which owns the land where Milligan’s statue is located, issued a statement on Twitter following a petition launched by Tower Hamlets Labour councillor Ehtasham Haque, which demanded the removal of the figure and reached over 1,000 signatures in 24 hours.
It earlier said: ‘We recognise the wishes of the local community concerning the statue of Robert Milligan at London Docklands and are committed to working with London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the Museum of London Docklands and partners at Canary Wharf to organise its safe removal as soon as possible.
‘The Trust stands with out waterside communities against racism. We promote equality, diversity and inclusion, using our canals to enrich the lives of all those alongside our waterways from every community.’
A video shows people cheering and clapping as workers used a crane to remove the statue from its plinth.
‘While it’s a sad truth that much of our city and nation’s wealth was derived from the slave trade, this does not have to be celebrated in our public spaces,’ said London Mayor Sadiq Khan in a tweet with a photo of the statue.
John Briggs, the mayor of Tower Hamlets, posted a video of himself at the scene, in which he says: ‘This has become the focus of a lot of anxiety and anger in our community. We need to take it, put it into storage and then talk about what we can learn from this and how we can help these events to make us a stronger community.’
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Museum of London said it ‘recognises that the monument is part of the ongoing problematic regime of white-washing history, which disregards the pain of those who are still wrestling with the remnants of the crimes Milligan committed against humanity.’
The commemorative statue, sculpted by Richard Westmacott, was commissioned by the West India Dock Company, of which Milligan was Chairman, following his death in May 1809. He also has a street in the area named after him, Milligan Street, near Westferry DLR station.
The museum also tweeted: ‘The statue presently stands shrouded with placards and is now an object of protest, we believe these protests should remain as long as the statue remains.’
The decision follows huge crowds of Black Lives Matter supporters gathering outside Oriel College at the University of Oxford this evening to campaign for a monument of imperialist Cecil Rhodes to be removed.
The demonstration was organised by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign group and came after activists identified 60 UK statues they want removed for ‘celebrating slavery and racism’ as councils and museums rushed to bring down their controversial monuments.
Some of Briton’s most famous people on the hit list include the Edinburgh statue of former Home Secretary Henry Dundas, who delayed the abolition of slavery, and a statue of Sir Francis Drake on Plymouth Hoe.
The interactive map, called ‘topple the racists’, was set up by the Stop Trump Coalition in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and lists plaques and monuments in more than 30 towns and cities across the UK. The online list is unregulated and can be added to by the public.
This evening in London there is a commemoration event, organised by Stand Up To Racism, to mark George Floyd’s funeral in Houston, Texas, with police forming a ring of steel around statues including Sir Winston Churchill’s in case it is attacked again.
Workers help to load the statue of Milligan onto the back of a crane following its removal from outside the Museum of London
The statue is seen being driven away on the back of a truck after being removed from workers in West India Quay
The statue of Milligan pictured on the back of a truck as it is driven away by one of the workers. A petition launched by Tower Hamlets Labour councillor Ehtasham Haque for its removal reached over 1,000 signatures in 24 hours
A worker places a ladder by the feet of the Milligan statue, which is seen covered by a blanket and with a placard attached
Police and members of the public gather as workers prepare to take down a statue of the slave owner Milligan, with a sign reading ‘Black Lives Matter’ seen around the statue’s neck, which is also covered in graffiti
A statue of Milligan pictured covered by a blanket and with a placard placed upon it reading ‘Black Lives Matter’ as it is seen being removed by workers at West India Quay outside the Museum of London Docklands near Canary Wharf
People looking on as the statue of Milligan is seen covered with a blanket and a placard before its removal by the charity Canal and River Trust, which owns the land on which the monument was located
Two police officers look on at the statue, before its removal. It follows protesters in the English port city of Bristol tore down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston
At tonight’s Oxford protest, organisers placed chalk crosses on the floors in either side of the street outside the entrance to the college, to enforce social distancing.
The crowd took to their knees for eight minutes 46 seconds, to reflect the time Mr Floyd, a father-of-two, spent with a police officer kneeling on his neck which killed him in America last month.
Hours before the rally began Oxford City Council’s leader Susan Brown wrote to Oriel College inviting them to apply for planning permission to remove the statue, after 26 councillors signed a letter saying it is ‘incompatible’ with the city’s ‘commitment to anti-racism’.
Councillor Brown said: ‘Typically such actions are only allowed in the most exceptional of circumstances. But these are exceptional circumstances, and as a city council we are keen to work with Oriel to help them find the right balance between the laws that protect our historic buildings and the moral obligation to reflect on the malign symbolism of this statue.’
Oriel College has said it will ‘continue to debate’ the issue – but did not commit to removing it.
Ndjodi Ndeunyema, an Oxford University law student and a former Rhodes scholar, organised tonight’s Oxford rally after starting the Rhodes Must Fall campaign for its removal five years ago, and said: ‘The statue remaining is an affront on the university’s support for movements such as Black Lives Matter.
‘Rhodes is not worth of veneration or glorification because of the racism and subjugation he represents’.
Protesters gather in front of the Cecil Rhodes statue outside Oriel College in Oxford and demand for it to be taken down
Thousands of protestors in Oxford hold up placards this evening as they campaign for the removal of a statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes
Protestors hold placards and shout slogans below a statue of British imperialst Cecil John Rhodes during during a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign
Supporters of the Rhodes Must Fall group, participate in a protest calling for the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes outside Oriel College this evening
A protester holds up a sign reading ‘imagine if Oxford protected black lives like it protects a racist made of stone’ during a demonstration by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign calling for the removal of the statue outside Oriel College
Following the toppling of slave trader Edward Colston during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol on June 6, the Rhodes Must Fall campaign has called for protest action outside Oriel College
Protestors hold placards and shout slogans during during a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign this evening
Black Lives Matter protestors chant and demonstrate outside Oxford University’s Oriel College this evening and call for the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes
Police and protesters discuss in front of Oriel College during a protest of the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign within the Black Lives Matter movement
Thousands of Black Lives Matter protestors are thought to have descended on Oxford to demonstrate against the statue this evening
Members of the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign within the Black Lives Matter movement gather in front of the Oriel College for a protest calling for the removal of the statue of British 19th century imperialist, politician Cecil Rhodes
Demonstrators gather outside University of Oxford’s Oriel College to demand the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes
‘Rhodes must fall’ was a popular slogan as thousands campaigned for the statue’s removal outside Oriel College this evening
Members of the Oxford anti-fascists were outside Oriel College to demand the statue of Cecil Rhodes is removed ahead of a Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall protest in the city this evening
26 Oxford City councillors signed a letter saying Rhodes’ statue in Oxford (pictured) should go because it is ‘incompatible’ with the city’s ‘commitment to anti-racism’
Police on horseback in front of Oriel College, Oxford ahead of a protest calling for the removal of the statue of 19th century imperialist, politician Cecil Rhodes from the Oxford college
Demonstrators hold placards during a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign outside Oxford University’s Oriel College
A protester in Oxford holds a sign asking if ‘Cecil wants a swim?’. This in reference to the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol being torn down and suggests the same could happen to the Cecil Rhodes statue
Participants gather for a protest called by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign calling for the removal of the statue of British imperialist Cecil John Rhodes outside Oriel College
Protesters also packed into Leicester city centre this evening with the UK bracing for another evening of demonstrations against racism.
It comes as the University of Leicester has increased its efforts to ‘decolonise the curriculum’ in subjects like English, history and law in recent months – and it is launching a scheme to recruit more BAME academics in teaching roles.
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, vice-chancellor of the university, said: ‘It is about a sense of belonging in the university. That comes from having students who are diverse, from having staff who are diverse, and from having a curriculum that is diverse.
‘It’s not something you can easily fix because I think the students have certain perceptions and that’s not going to change overnight.
‘They see certain universities as not welcoming for them. That may not be true, but that might be what they have been feeling since they were very young.
‘I think if you go and visit Oxford and places like Bristol you will think they’re welcoming for ethnic minorities, but there is a gap between that reality and what the community outside perceives them to be, as not really representing them. I know these universities are taking a lot of action to address that.
More than half (52%) of students are from a BAME background at the University of Leicester but currently only 14.2% of teaching staff and 9.8% of professors are from a BAME background.
The university has launched a £1.5 million annual scheme to create three funded PhD studentships and ten postgraduate scholarships to attract students from BAME backgrounds into academia.
And from this year, the English BA at Leicester has been changed to include more diverse texts and authors set and written in countries across the world.
The reading list now includes Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and NW by Zadie Smith.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and deputy leader Angela Rayner pictured kneeling in solidarity with anti-racism protesters
The Queen Victoria Statue in Woodhouse Moor Park in Leeds, West Yorkshire which has had ‘Black Lives Matter’, ‘BLM’ and ‘Slave Owner’ spray painted on it
Black Lives Matter and ‘slave owner’ were among the phrases daubed on the statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor Park in Leeds
Statues of Robert Milligan (right) and William Beckford (left) are being targeted. Milligan was an 18th century Scottish merchant who owned 526 slaves at his Jamaican sugar plantation. Beckford was twice Lord Mayor of London and owned 3,000 slaves in Jamaica
Statues of Thomas Guy (left) and John Cass (right) are also likely to be targeted for removal. Cass was involved in the slave trade, as a member of the Royal African Company’s Court of Assistants between 1705 and 1708. Guy was given a monopoly over the slave trade to the Spanish Colonies in the Americas before the ‘South Sea Bubble’ burst
Protesters packed into Leicester city centre this evening with the UK bracing for another evening of demonstrations against racism
Protesters wearing face masks stand in silence at this evening’s Black Lives Matter protest in Leicester city centre
A Black Lives Matter demonstration takes place in Leicester City Centre this evening, the latest in a string of protests to hit the UK
A Black Lives Matter demonstration takes place in Leicester City Centre after the death of George Floyd in the US
Police officers also gathered at the University of Oxford as protests were planned over the statue of Cecil Rhodes
A website set up by BLM supporters called ‘Topple the Racists’ website mapping 60 statues and monuments organisers claim ‘celebrate slavery and racism’ and should be removed
Mr Khan (pictured on GMB) said he ‘hopes’ the new Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will recommend some memorials in the capital should be removed – but declared he would like any ones of slave traders taken down
A history teacher who was standing opposite the Cecil Rhodes statue revealed he had travelled from London to ‘guard it’ as he felt that it should not be brought down.
The 32-year-old, who did not want to give his name, said: ‘I am here to make sure they do not tear it down. I am a history teacher and about seven years ago I went to the grave of Cecil Rhodes in Zimbabwe after sitting with the Matabele chiefs.
The teacher wore a tweed suit and a fedora hat, while clutching a paperback copy of a book called ‘1066 and all that’ behind his back.
He added: ‘Accounts of Cecil Rhodes that are being printed are one-sided and while I definitely think a plaque or something would be a good idea, we do not tear things down and we certainly do not do it without due process. I am going to talk to my school about the monuments and the children will debate the legacy and the history.
‘If you dig into most of the statues in London, you get some pretty horrible things. I do not suppose that tearing things down just because 2,000 people ask for it is in any way correct.’
The teacher watched as a woman organiser began to speak though a megaphone and chanted ‘down with the king of the blood diamond’ and ‘take it down’ which the crowd of several hundred people echoed.
She said: ‘It is about time you started to listen to the people of this city and not your funders. We want this statue down. We declare ourselves anti-racist and we do not want this statue in our city. It does not reflect our own views, it does not reflect our values.’
The Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens entered the throng to watch the demonstration and quickly fell into an argument with a man in the crowd.
Mr Hitchens said: ‘I think Cecil Rhodes was a scoundrel and I do not think anything can be worked out in his defence. I am not here in support of him.
‘To me, if you were worried about colonisation it seems China is a much more pressing problem. I live locally and I thought it would boring not to come. I used to go to demonstrations here in the 1960s, back when we knew how to demonstrate.’
A man challenged the commentator, saying that ‘scoundrel’ was not a strong enough to describe Cecil Rhodes, arguing ‘racist’ would more appropriate.
Refusing to change his chosen description, Mr Hitchens told the man: ‘You are not my interrogator and I am not your prisoner. I have free speech to say what I want.’
Sadiq Khan today called for the removal of all slave trader statues in the capital as he promised to personally ‘review and improve’ the diversity of the capital’s landmarks. The Mayor of London has launched his own Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm after Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the monument to Edward Colston in Bristol and hurled it in the city’s harbour.
Mayor Khan today said he wouldn’t ‘pre-empt’ the commission’s findings on the suitability of London’s street names, murals, statues and memorials, but admitted he would like any statues of slave traders removed in London and to build more ‘people of colour, black people, women, those from the LGBT community’.
But he said he did not think statues such as of Sir Winston Churchill’s in Parliament Square should be included in the review it was tagged with ‘racist’ on Sunday. He said Londoners needed to be educated about famous figures ‘warts and all’ and that ‘nobody was perfect’, including the likes of Churchill, Gandhi and Malcolm X.
The leader of Oxford City Council has this afternoon invited Oriel College to make a planning request to remove the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes, which has been at the centre of a long-running row.
Councillor Susan Brown said: ‘I’m clear in my support for the Black Lives Matter movement and I have a great deal of sympathy with the Rhodes Must Fall campaign. The question of statues and their historical context is not a simple matter, but sometimes acts of symbolism are important. I know my views are shared by a majority of my fellow councillors.
‘It would be better for the statue to be placed in a museum, such as the Ashmolean or the Museum of Oxford, to ensure this noteworthy piece of the story of our city isn’t lost to history.
‘Of course, bringing down statues alone isn’t sufficient to address the issue of racism in our society and continued action on this should involve all our city’s key institutions.
‘I have today written to Oriel College to invite them to apply for planning permission to remove the statue, as it is a Grade II* listed building’.
In 2016, Oriel College decided to keep the statue despite widespread student demands to remove it. Campaigners from the Rhodes Must Fall group argued that the row illustrated Britain’s ‘imperial blind spot’.
In a statement ahead of the protest, Oriel College pledged to discuss the issues raised by protests against the Rhodes statue.
The statement read: ‘Oriel College abhors racism and discrimination in all its forms.
‘The Governing Body are deeply committed to equality within our community at Oriel, the University of Oxford and the wider world.
‘As an academic institution we aim to fight prejudice and champion equal opportunities for everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality or faith. We believe Black Lives Matter and support the right to peaceful protest.
‘The power of education is a catalyst for equality and inclusiveness.
‘We understand that we are, and we want to be, a part of the public conversation about the relationship between the study of history, public commemoration, social justice, and educational equality.
‘As a college, we continue to debate and discuss the issues raised by the presence on our site of examples of contested heritage relating to Cecil Rhodes.
‘Speaking out against injustice and discrimination is vital and we are committed to doing so.
‘We will continue to examine our practices and strive to improve them to ensure that Oriel is open to students and staff of all backgrounds, and we are determined to build a more equal and inclusive community and society.’
Monuments that could be under threat in London would include statues of William Beckford at London’s Guildhall, John Cass on Jewry Street and one Thomas Guy, which stands in the courtyard at Guy’s Hospital.
Campaigners are targeting statues all over the UK including a Edinburgh statue of Henry Dundas, who delayed the abolition of slavery in Scotland, while in Glasgow Barclays Bank has confirmed the ‘Buchanan’ name will be dropped from a major riverside development over its connection with the slave trade.
The Sir Francis Drake statue on Plymouth’s Hoe, where he was playing bowls when he learned Britain was set to be invaded by the Spanish Armada in 1588, is also said to be under threat after BLM supporters set up a ‘topple the racists’ website mapping more than 30 statues and monuments organisers claim ‘celebrate slavery and racism’.
Sadiq Khan said he ‘hopes’ the new Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will recommend some memorials in the capital should be removed.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the Mayor of London: ‘One of the things that I realise is that I’ve not got ownership of the statutes or indeed some of the land that these statues are on. But it is a wider conversation I want to have about the diversity of the public realm in our city.
‘When you look at the public realm – street names, street squares, murals – not only are there some of slavers that I think should be taken down, and the commission will advise us on that, but actually we don’t have enough representation of people of colour, black people, women, those from the LGBT community.’
But critics have called his approach ‘distracting and divisive’, with Shaun Bailey, Tory candidate for Mayor of London ,saying: ‘He [Mayor Khan] is seeking to distract Londoners from the fact he failed to support his police service during the protests, allowing a small group to hijack a largely peaceful protest and betray the cause of fairness that the vast majority were there to promote. He should be focusing on keeping all Londoners safe and promoting opportunities for all people of colour’.
The Cecil Rhodes statue in Oxford will be targeted by protesters tonight after years of debate about whether it should be removed
THE 60 ‘RACIST STATUES’
James George Smith Neill – monument – Ayr, Wellington Square
Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde – Statue – Glasgow, George Square
Sir Robert Peel – Statue – Glasgow, George Square
Henry Dundas – Statue – Edinburgh, St Andrew’s Square
Grey’s Monument – Newcastle Upon Tyne, Grainger Street
William Armstrong – Memorial – Newcastle Upon Tyne, Eldon Place
Statue of Sir Robert Peel in George Square, Glasgow
Sir Robert Peel – Statue – Leeds, Woodhouse Moor
Robert Peel – Statue – Preston, Winkley Square
Robert Peel – Statue – Bury
Robert Peel – Statue – Manchester, Piccadilly Gardens
Oliver Cromwell – Statue – Manchester, Wythenshawe Road
Oliver Cromwell – Statue – Warrington, Bridge Street
Bryan Blundell – Blundell House – Liverpool, Liverpool Blue Coat School
Christopher Columbus – Statue – Liverpool, Sefton Park Palm House
William Leverhulme – Statue – Wirral, outside Lady Lever Art Gallery
Henry Morton Stanley – Statue – Denbigh, Hall Square
William Gladstone – Statue – Hawarden, Gladstone’s Library, Church Lane
Elihu Yale – Wetherspoons Pub – Wrexham, Regent Street
Black man’s head caricature – Ashbourne, Green Man
Robert Clive – Statue – Shrewsbury, The Square
Robert Peel – Statue – Tamworth, 27 Market Street
H Morton Stanley – Park – Redditch, Morton Stanley Park
Statue of Oliver Cromwell on Bridge Street, Warrington
Oliver Cromwell – Statue – St Ives, Market Hill
Ronald A. Fisher – Memorial – Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College
Sir Thomas Picton – Memorial – Carmarthen, Picton Terrace
General Nott – Statue – Carmarthen, Nott Square
Thomas Phillips – Memorial plaque – Brecon, Captain’s Walk
Cecil Rhodes – Statue – Oxford, Oriel College
Christopher Codrington – Rename Library – Oxford, Codrington Library, All Souls College
Rename Rhodes Arts Complex and Rhodes Avenue – Bishop’s Stortford, Cecil Rhodes
Sir Thomas Picton – Statue – Cardiff, Cardiff City Hall
Edward Colston – Rename Colston Hall and Colston Street – Bristol, Colston Street
Henry Overton Wills III – Wills Memorial Building – Bristol, University of Bristol
Edward Colston – Statue – Bristol, Bristol Harbour
Edward Colston – Building – Bristol, Colston Tower, Colston Street
Captain Edward August Lendy & Captain Charles Frederick Lendy – Memorial Statue – Sunbury-on-Thames, Pantiles Court
Edward Colston – Rename Colston Road – Mortlake, Colston Road
William Beckford – School – London, Dornfell Street
Statue of Robert Clive in The Square, Shrewsbury
Robert Geffrye – Statue located on the Museum of the Home – London, Kingsland Road
Francis Galton – Galton Lecture Theatre – London, Gower Street
Charles II of England – Statue – London, Soho Square Gardens
King James II – Statue – London, Trafalgar Square
Robert Clive – Statue – London, Westminster, King Charles Street
Oliver Cromwell – Statue – London, Houses of Parliament
Sir Robert Clayton – Statue – London, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road
Sir Henry De la Beche – Name on front of Imperial College – London, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus
Christopher Columbus – Monument – London, Belgrave Square Garden
Thomas Guy – Statue – London, Guys Hospital
Thomas Guy – London, Guy’s Hospital
Robert Milligan – Statue – London, Tower Hamlets, West India Quay
Sir Francis Drake, Robert Blake, Horatio Nelson – Statues – London, Deptford Town Hall, Goldsmiths College
Sir Francis Drake, Robert Blake and Horatio Nelson – Statues – London, Goldsmiths Uni Deptford Town Hall
Statue of Sir Robert Clayton on Westminster Bridge Road, London
Lord Kitchener – Statue – Chatham, Khartoum Road
Admiral Sir Edward Codrington – Plaque – Brighton, Western Road
William Ewart Gladstone – Plaque – Brighton, Royal Albion Hotel
Christopher Barry Russell – Office – Cosham, Admiral House
Redvers Buller – Statue – Exeter, Hele Road
Francis Drake – Statue – Tavistock, Drakes Roundabout
Nancy Astor – Statue – Plymouth, Hoe Park
Francis Drake – Statue – Plymouth, Plymouth Hoe
Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford, told MailOnline: ‘I think the Mayor of London should be focusing on issues that matter to Londoners. Like the bankrupt TFL, the recent crime wave and many other issues.
‘Ripping down our history is not something the Mayor was elected to do. Our history is who we are and you can find something bad in everything, be it prime ministers or anyone.
‘The idea of going around London tearing down statues and renaming streets is absurd.
‘He is pandering to a politically correct gang of anarchists who hate everything about this country – they are anti-British.’
City Hall called London ‘one of the most diverse cities in the world’, but said the capital’s statues, plaques and street names largely reflect Victorian Britain.
Born in Dumfries, Scotland, Milligan moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where he managed his wealthy family’s sugar plantations. He returned to London in 1779 and became instrumental in the construction of the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs.
At the time of his death in 1809, 526 slaves were registered on Milligan’s Jamaican plant called Kellet’s and Mammee Gully.
Beckford, a wealthy politician who twice held the office of Lord Mayor of London in the 18th century, is believed to have owned around 3,000 slaves on his plantations in Jamaica. His statue stands inside London’s Guildhall.
Cass was involved in the slave trade, as a member of the Royal African Company’s Court of Assistants between 1705 and 1708.
Company records show Cass having been on the ‘committee of correspondence’ which dealt with slave agents in the African forts and the Caribbean.
Cass also retained shared in the Company until his death in 1718.
A copycat statue stands outside the Sir John Cass School, at Duke’s Place and Mitre Street. The original is housed in London’s Guidhall.
Guy, the founder of Guy’s Hospital, held a large stake in the South Sea Company, which was given a monopoly over the slave trade to the Spanish Colonies in the Americas before the famous ‘South Sea Bubble’ burst.
A statue dedicated to Guy stands in the courtyard of Guy’s Hospital.
Mr Khan said: ‘It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade and while this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities to life in our capital has been wilfully ignored. This cannot continue.
‘We must ensure that we celebrate the achievements and diversity of all in our city, and that we commemorate those who have made London what it is – that includes questioning which legacies are being celebrated.
‘The Black Lives Matter protests have rightly brought this to the public’s attention, but it’s important that we take the right steps to work together to bring change and ensure that we can all be proud of our public landscape.’
The commission will be co-chaired by Debbie Weekes-Bernard, the deputy mayor for social integration, social mobility and community engagement, and deputy mayor for culture and creative industries Justine Simons.
Other statues likely to be targeted by the diversity commission are those of Robert Peel, which stands in Parliament Square.
Peel, the founder of the Metropolitan Police Service, regarded the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill as a threat to the cotton industry. He raised a petition highlighting the risk it presented to the merchants and their trade interests.
A statue dedicated to the former PM now stands in Parliament Square.
The announcement comes ahead of planned anti-racism demonstrations in London as George Floyd is laid to rest in the US, after a killing which Boris Johnson said had awakened an ‘incontrovertible, undeniable feeling of injustice’ worldwide.
Mr Floyd, who died after a police officer in Minneapolis restrained him by holding a knee on his neck, will be buried in his home town of Houston in Texas today.
A symbolic and socially distanced commemoration is planned at the Nelson Mandela statue in Parliament Square in London at 5pm, organised by Stand Up To Racism.
Following protests across the UK on the weekend, Boris Johnson – who previously condemned the ‘thuggery’ that marred some of the demonstrations – acknowledged many of the activists’ concerns were ‘founded on a cold reality’.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters today: ‘The PM began Cabinet by discussing the anger and the grief that is felt not just in the US but around the world including the UK following the death of George Floyd.
‘He said those who lead and govern simply cannot ignore the depth of emotion that has been triggered.
‘The PM said there was an undeniable feeling of injustice and people from blame and minority ethnic groups do face discrimination in education, in employment, in the application of the criminal law.
‘He said that we are a much, much less racist society than we were but we must also frankly acknowledge that there is so much more to do in eradicating prejudice and creating opportunities.
‘Cabinet reiterated its commitment to that effort.
The PM said his message to all those who have protested lawfully was ‘I hear you and I understand’. However he said this cause is not an acceptable reason for violence, unlawful actions or disregarding social distancing.
‘He said those who attack public property or the police are undermining the cause they claim to represent and will face the full force of the law.’
After campaigners pulled down the statue of Mr Colston in Bristol, graffiti was scrawled on the plinth of the Sir Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square.
Nearly 50 London police officers were injured during the protests at the weekend.
The PM warned legal repercussions must follow, and called for people to ‘work peacefully, lawfully, to defeat racism’.
But Mr Khan said he did not consider statues of the likes of Sir Winston Churchill to be included in the review, after the former prime minister’s statue in Parliament Square had ‘was a racist’ scribbled onto it by protesters.
He said pupils needed to be educated about famous figures ‘warts and all’ and that ‘nobody was perfect’, including the likes of Churchill, Gandhi and Malcolm X.
A plaque will be added to a statue of controversial 19th Century politician Henry Dundas who delayed the abolition of slavery – after a two-year stalemate on wording.
Dundas, a conservative politician who was eventually impeached, is commemorated at the Melville Monument in St Andrews Square, Edinburgh.
The plinth was tagged with graffiti reading ‘George Floyd’ at a Black Lives Matter demo at the weekend – where calls were renewed for a plaque to be added to the statue, explaining Dundas’ role in delaying the abolition of slavery in the 1800s.
Scotland’s first black professor, Sir Geoff Palmer, has been calling for a plaque detailing Dundas’ role in Scotland’s history of the slave trade – but talks with the City of Edinburgh Council ground to a halt two years ago due to a dispute around the wording.
A descendant of Dundas, Benjamin Carey, also slated a lack of enthusiasm from the council which had recently said it would no longer ‘facilitate meetings’ – a stance which has now changed.
Mr Carey said: ‘My ancestor is controversial, but Edinburgh needs to own him, warts and all.’
The Colston statue, which had been in place since 1895, has been a subject of controversy in recent years – due to Colston’s links to the slave trade in the 17th century
It was toppled and thrown into the Bristol Harbour during a BLM protest at the weekend
Activists stand around the Churchill statue after it was daubed in graffiti during BLM protests
As the protests descended into chaos, one protester (left and right) was seen climbing on the historic monument The Cenotaph and setting fire to the Union Jack flag
Police officers stand in a line next to protesters during a BLM rally in Westminster on Sunday
George Floyd (left), a 46-year-old black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin (right) put his knee on his neck in Minneapolis on May 25 for nine minutes
Racists or heroes? It’s not black or white: Black Lives Matter want to topple statues of some of the most famous Britons because of their links to colonialism and slavery – but they also gave fortunes away, and helped build Britain and a modern world
ByMilly Vincentand Jack Elsom For Mailonline
Black Lives Matter activists are calling for the removal of 60 statues of slave owners and racists across Britain.
Top of their target list is the statue of Cecil Rhodes and petitions also exist to remove the statue of slave-trading West India Docks founder Robert Milligan, and the statue of former Home Secretary Henry Dundas who delayed the abolition of slavery and that stands atop a column in Edinburgh.
But on a website called Topple The Racists, set up by Black Lives Matter activists, members are invited to propose other statues that should be torn down across Britain.
There, a wide range of figures from Britain’s colonial past are being proposed for destruction.
Among them are leaders who held undeniably racist views and others who performed evil acts against people of colour, such as slave owners and Thomas Picton who ruled Trinidad with an iron fist and ordered the torture of a 14-year-old accused of theft.
But others also played a leading role shaping the cities and institutions that form modern day Britain.
The statues targeted by BLM activists are:
Cecil Rhodes
Cecil Rhodes (1853 – 1902). A 4ft statue of Rhodes stands outside Oriel College at Oxford university
Where is his statue?
A 4ft statue of Rhodes stands outside Oriel College at Oxford university.
Who was he?
Cecil Rhodes (1853 – 1902) was the Former Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, the modern day South Africa. He was a British supremacist, imperialist, mining magnate, and politician in southern Africa who drove the annexation of vast swathes of Africa.
What did he do?
The bad:
- Colonised much of Southern Africa for Victorian Britain and established a vast new British territory in Rhodesia, today’s Zimbabwe and Zambia
- Rhodes believed that the British were ‘the first race in the world, and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race’
- He secured control of Rhodesia by swindling the king of Matabeleland, and showed scant regard for his African employees, whom he dismissed as ‘n***ers’
- Founded De Beers mining company, trading diamonds mined with slave labour
The good:
• Established Rhodes Scholarships, which paid for brilliant young students from former British possessions to study at Oxford, among them the former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott
Who wants the statue removed?
University of Oxford campaigners claim that forcing ethnic minority students to walk past the Rhodes memorials amounts to ‘violence’ as he helped pave the way for apartheid.
Robert Milligan
Robert Milligan (1746-1809) was a Scottish merchant and slave owner. His statue stands at West India Quay outside the Museum London Docklands
Where is his statue?
West India Quay outside the Museum London Docklands, where it has stood since 1997 after being moved from its original plinth nearby in 1813.
Who was he?
Robert Milligan (1746-1809) was a Scottish merchant and slave owner. He was born in Dumfries, Scotland, but soon moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where he managed his wealthy family’s sugar plantations.
He returned to London in 1779 where he became instrumental in the construction of the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs. According to the inscription on the bronze statue’s plinth, it was to Milligan’s ‘genius, perseverance and guardian care’ that the docks owed their ‘design, accomplishment and regulation’.
From the Docks, ships would sail to West Africa where shipowners such as Milligan bought enslaved Africans.
The ships then crossed the seas to the Caribbean to buy sugar, rum and coffee before returning to England.
At the time of his death in 1809, 526 slaves were registered on Milligan’s Jamaican plant called Kellet’s and Mammee Gully.
What did he do?
The Bad:
- Used slaves to amass great wealth through trade
- Was a vocal opponent of the abolition of slavery
The good:
- Built London’s docks: Pooled together a group of wealthy businessmen to create the West India Docks which brought in shiploads of produce to England
Who wants the statue removed?
Tower Hamlets councillor Ehtasham Haque has started a petition for the statue of Robert Milligan to be removed from Canary Wharf. He said: ‘He has no place in London, and he does not deserve the honour of a statue’.
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 – 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy known for inspirational leadership. Nelson’s column, Trafalgar Square, London (right)
Where is the statue?
Nelson’s column, Trafalgar Square, London has not been targeted. But another statue of Nelson has been at Deptford Town Hall, a department at Goldsmiths University, London.
Who is he?
Horatio Nelson was born in a Norfolk rectory in 1758, and secured his first command 20 years later through the influence of his uncle, who was a senior naval officer. The outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars opened the way for a long succession of triumphs, the earliest taking place in the Mediterranean, where he was blinded in his right eye. He distinguished himself commanding HMS Captain at the 1797 Battle of Cape St Vincent against a larger Spanish force off the coast of Portugal, and mislaid his right arm in the unsuccessful action at Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In the following year, he commanded a British fleet in the first of his historic victories at the Battle of the Nile.
Nelson’s reputation — for personal courage, aggression and tactical brilliance — won him the adoration of his captains and indeed crews. In 1801, he secured another victory, this time over the Danes, at Copenhagen, bequeathing to folklore the story that he ignored an order to withdraw by putting a telescope to his blind eye to read the flag signal. He subsequently commanded fleets involved in a blockade of French ships in Toulon harbour, and in unsuccessful pursuit of the French and Spanish fleets to the West Indies.
Only on October 21, 1805, did he finally bring the enemy to battle off Spain’s Cape Trafalgar, which became his greatest victory and secured Britain against invasion by the vast army Napoleon had assembled on the Channel coast. At Trafalgar and in the actions that immediately followed, the French and Spanish lost 24 ships of the line, more than Nelson commanded when he engaged. He was shot down by a sharpshooter in the tops of the French Redoubt-able, and died three hours later.
However some believe Nelson was a white supremacist, citing Nelson’s friendships with West Indian slave traders, and his description of the ideals of abolitionist William Wilberforce as ‘a damnable and cruel doctrine’.
Nelson’s finest John Sugden, believes Nelson was exemplarily kind to black sailors who did good service on his ships, and in 1802 wrote another letter in support of a proposal by one of his own officers to employ free Chinese labour in the West Indies instead of slaves.
What did he do ?
The good:
- Secured victory for the British in the Battle of Trafalgar, the greatest naval victory in British history
- The greatest British naval hero ever to have lived
The bad:
- He described of ideals of abolitionist William Wilberforce as ‘a damnable and cruel doctrine’
Who wants the statue removed?
Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action student group.
Sir Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel (1788 – 1850), served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (left). Statues of Sir Robert Peel stand in London’s Parliament Square (right), Glasgow’s George Square, Bury and Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens
Where is the statue?
Statues of Sir Robert Peel stand in London’s Parliament Square, Glasgow’s George Square, Bury and Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens.
Who wants the statue removed?
Several petitions have been started by locals in Manchester – both to keep and remove the statue.
Who is he?
Sir Robert Peel (1788 – 1850), served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and is regarded as the father of modern British policing having founded the Metropolitan Police Service. He is also a founder of the The Conservative Party.
Black Lives Matter activists have targeted statues of the former Prime Minister due to his father’s involvement with the slave trade. A petition to remove Peel’s statue in central Manchester was started by Sami Pinarbasi, who said Sir Robert is a ‘icon of hate and racism’.
His father Sir Robert Peel, 1st Baronet, (1750 – 1830), was a British politician, industrialist and textile manufacturer. He amassed wealth through industry and became one of ten known British millionaires in 1799. However to ‘protect the cotton industry’ in Manchester Peel petitioned against the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill.
What did he do ?
Good:
- Issued the Tamworth manifesto in 1834, laying down the founding principles for Britain’s modern day Conservative party
- Regarded as the father of British policing, founding Metropolitan Police in 1829 – and was against having an armed police force
- Pushed the Catholic Emancipation Bill through parliament in 1828, reducing restrictions placed on Roman Catholics – but said ‘though emancipation was a great danger, civil strife was a greater danger’
- Supported the repeal of The Corn Laws (1815) to help provide food during the Irish Potato Famine (1845 – 1852)
- Brought in The Factories Act 1844, to regulate conditions of industrial employment
Bad:
- His father petitioned against the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill as he viewed it as a ‘threat’ to cotton industry in Manchester, he presented petition May 1806
Robert Clive
Robert Clive (left) was an East India Company officer whose statue stands in Shrewsbury Square and King Charles Street, London (pictured right)
Where is the statue?
His statue stands in Shrewsbury Square and King Charles Street, London.
Who is he?
Robert Clive was an East India Company officer who helped Britain seize control of much of the subcontinent in the mid-18th century and was hailed back in Westminster for delivering important military victories without formal field training.
But his reputation was muddied by his spell as Governor of Bengal from 1755 when he faced accusations of corruption.
Amid a fierce backlash to his rule in India, as well as sliding health, he took his own life in 1767.
At the time of his death, Clive’s fortune was worth about £500,000 – around £33million today.
What did he do ?
The bad:
- Conquered Bengal at the Battle of Plassey, and helped himself to £160,000 from the defeated Nawab’s treasury
- Caused the Bengal famine of 1770 with his taxes on Indians and changes to agricultural practices that killed an estimated 10 million Indians
- Amassed a personal fortune by conquering Bengal and subjugating the population
- Paved the way for the British Raj in India which ruled the subcontinent for 200 years
Who wants the statue removed?
Two petitions started by locals including David Parton call for the Shrewsbury Square statue to be removed.
Sir Thomas Picton
Sir Thomas Picton (1758 – 1815) (left) a military officer who enjoyed a prolific career before being killed at the Battle of Waterloo. His statue Inside Cardiff City Hall (right)
Where is the statue?
Inside Cardiff City Hall
Who wants his statue removed?
Cardiff Lord Mayor Daniel De’Ath asked the council to remove the state in an open letter which has received support from council leader Huw Thomas.
Who was he?
A military officer who enjoyed a prolific career before being killed at the Battle of Waterloo. He was the Governor of Trinidad from (1797–1803).
What did he do?
The bad:
- Known as the ‘tyrant of Trinidad’ for his ‘arbitrary and brutal’ rule of the island
- His motto was ‘let them hate so long as they fear’
- Ordered the torture of a 14-year-old girl accused of theft
The good:
- Highest ranking officer killed fighting with Wellington at Waterloo
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake (1540 – 1596) was an English admiral and renowned Elizabethan seaman who circumnavigated the globe. His statues stand on Plymouth Hoe and in Tavistock, respectively
Where is the statue?
Two identical statues memorialise Drake, on Plymouth Hoe and in Tavistock, respectively.
Who wants his statue removed?
A petition to Plymouth City Council claiming to be in support of Black Lives Matter, has amassed over 1,000 signatures.
Who was he?
Sir Francis Drake (1540 – 1596) was an English admiral and renowned Elizabethan seaman who circumnavigated the globe.
He spent much of his career plundering ports in South America and the Carribean, particularly those owned by the Spanish, who branded him a pirate.
He was knighted for his efforts and made Vice Admiral of the Navy where he was instrumental during the successful defence of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
What did he do?
The good:
- Successfully fended off invasion from the Spanish fleet in 1588 as the Navy’s Vice Admiral
- Was the first captain to complete circumnavigation of the globe in a single voyage
- Marauded Spanish ports and ransacked goods to bring back to England, for which he was hailed a hero
The bad:
- His early voyages aboard his cousin John Hawkins’s ships to fetch African slaves before selling them on in Europe
- In 1562 the pair sailed from Plymouth with three ships and captured about 400 Africans in Guinea, later trading them in the West Indies
- Drake and Hawkins are believed to have enslaved around 1,400 Africans between 1562 and 1967
Henry Dundas
Henry Dundas (1742 – 1811) was a Conservative politician, Scottish Advocate and the first Secretary of State for War (left). His state, 150ft high, on the top of the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland
Where is the statue?
On the top of the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Who wants his statue removed?
A petition to the Scottish government was started by Nancy Barrett last week. She proposes Dundas street should be re-named after Joseph Knight, a Scottish-Jamaican slave who won a court case and then an appeal in 1778 to free himself, by proving that slavery didn’t exist in Scots Law.
Who was he?
Henry Dundas (1742 – 1811) was a Conservative politician, Scottish Advocate and the first Secretary of State for War – he is best known for delaying the abolition of slavery in 1792.
During his time as Home Secretary Dundas proposed that slavery be abolished in ‘three stages’ over a decade, which prolonged the suffering and cost thousands of lives.
He gained the nickname of ‘The Great Tyrant’ which he lived up to when he was caught misusing public money in 1806 and impeached.
What did he do?
The bad:
- Dundas proposed that slavery be abolished in ‘three stages’ over a decade, which prolonged the suffering and cost thousands of lives
- Blocked British reformer William Wilberforce’s efforts to abolish the slave trade
- He was influential in the expansion of British Influence in India the affairs of the East India Company
The good:
- Instrumental in the encouragement of the Scottish Enlightenment – a period of intellectual and scientific accomplishments
Thomas Guy
A statue of Thomas Guy is seen outside Guy’s Hospital on June 08, 2020 in London, England
Where is the statue?
Outside Guy’s Hospital, in London, England.
Who wants the statue removed?
He was named on the Topple The Racists’ site.
Who is he?
Thomas Guy (1644 – 1724) was a British bookseller, stock speculator, governor of St Thomas’ Hospital and founder of Guys’ Hospital, London – which he built with profits of the slave trade.
He made his fortune through ownership of a very large amount of shares in the South Sea Company, whose main purpose was to sell slaves to the Spanish Colonies.
The South Sea Company was responsible for the transportation of around 64,000 enslaved Africans between 1715 and 1731 to Spanish plantations in Central and Southern America.
After selling his shares in South Sea Company at the peak of their value, Guy used his massive fortune to establish Guy’s Hospital for ‘the poorest and sickest of the poor’ in London.
What did he do ?
The bad:
- He bought £42,000 shares in the South Sea Company, amassing a fortune when he sold them in 1720
- The South Sea Company supplied 4800 slaves each year for 30 years to Spanish plantations in Central and Southern America
The good:
- He became a governor of St Thomas’ Hospital, after building three wards
- He later opened Guy’s Hospital opposite St Thomas’ which cost him £19,000
Sir John Cass
Sir John Cass (1661- 1718) was a merchant, politician and Alderman. His statue stands outside London Metropolitan University (pictured June 8)
Where is the statue?
Outside London Metropolitan University.
Who wants the statue removed?
He is named on the Topple The Racists’ site.
Who is he?
Sir John Cass (1661- 1718) was a merchant, politician and Alderman for the ancient London ward of Portsoken, in 1711 was elected a Sheriff of London and later knighted.
Cass was responsible for helping the slave trade to establish across the Atlantic. He dealt with slave agents in the African forts and Caribbean. He also founded an educational charity, Sir John Cass’s Foundation, which still exists to this day.
Cass was a member of the Court of Assistants of the Royal African Company between 1705 and 1708 and bequeathed shares in the Royal African Company on his death.
The Royal African Company was established by Royal Charter under King Charles II. It gave a monopoly to the on trading in Slaves from ports in West. British slave trader Edward Colston played a large part in the running of the company.
What did he do?
The bad:
- Helped to establish slave trade deals across the Atlantic with slave agents in the African forts and Caribbean
- Cass was a member of the Court of Assistants of the Royal African Company between 1705 and 1708
The good:
- He founded an educational charity, Sir John Cass’s Foundation for 50 boys and 40 girls in the City of London, which still exists to this day
- He was Alderman for the ancient London ward of Portsoken, elected a Sheriff of London in 1711 and was knighted in 1712
William Beckford
William Beckford (1709-1770) was a Slave owner and politician. His statue stands In the Guildhall in London (pictured)
Where is his statue?
In the Guildhall in London.
Who wants his statue removed?
He is named on the Topple The Racists’ site.
Who was he?
William Beckford (1709-1770) was a Slave owner and politician. He was born in Jamaica, the son Peter Beckford, one of the most powerful slave-owners of the colonial era.
Peter had purchased sugar plantations on the Caribbean island in 1661, where he also served as Speaker of the legislature.
When both Peter and William’s elder brother – also Peter – died, he inherited the enormous fortune and estate which included 13 plantations and over 1,000 slaves.
By the time of his death, Beckford’s plantations were raking in over £50,000 each year and he is estimated to have amassed £1million in the bank – an eye-watering sum in 18th century Britain.
In the early 1700s he returned to London and used his riches to buy the sprawling Fonthill estate in Wiltshire, which he stuffed with art and expensive furniture.
The house burned down in 1755, but Beckford poured money and resources into rebuilding it.
He later embarked on a political career and was elected as an MP in 1754 before serving twice as Lord Mayor of London in 1762 and 1769.
Beckford also used his money to bankroll the rise of future prime minister William Pitt the Elder and ferociously lobbied in favour of the West Indies sugar industry.
In 1758, when Pitt was in the cabinet, Beckford advised him to attack the French in the island of Martinique because of the lucrative haul of slaves they could capture.
Beckford had nine children, eight of which were out of wedlock. The only son he had with his wife, Maria Marsh, was the novelist William Thomas Beckford.
Despite enslaving scores of men, at home he banged the drum for liberties, and once even answered back to King George after he arrested notorious critic John Wilkes.
What did he do?
The good:
- Campaigned for civil liberties as an MP and in 1770 demanded the King dissolve parliament to remove evil ministers
The bad:
- Inherited and oversaw 13 sugar plantations and more than 1,000 slaves in Jamaica
- In 1758 Beckford advised Pitt to attack the French in the island of Martinique because of the lucrative haul of slaves they could capture
General Sir Redvers Buller
General Sir Redvers Buller (1839 -1908) was an aristocratic Army officer (left). His statue stands near St David’s Church in Exeter, Devon
Where is the statue?
Near St David’s Church in Exeter, Devon.
Who was he?
General Sir Redvers Buller (1839 -1908) was an aristocratic Army officer who had a long career subduing colonial Africa, particularly in the Zulu and Boer wars.
What did he do?
The bad:
- Ruthlessly defeated the Zulu people in what is now modern day South Africa
- Rumoured to have helped set up African concetration camps for prisoners during the Boer War
The good:
- Won the Victoria Cross by rescuing two fellow officers during a pitched battle in the Zulu War
Who wants to remove the statue?
He is named on the Topple The Racists’ site.
Lord Kitchener
Lord Horatio Kitchener (1850-1916) (left) was a renowned Field Marshall and Secretary of State for War. His statue stands on Khartoum Road in Chatham, Kent, where he was Earl (right)
Where is the statue?
A bronze statue of Kitchener atop a his favourite horse, Democrat is located on Khartoum Road in Chatham, Kent, where he was Earl.
Who is he?
Lord Horatio Kitchener (1850-1916) was a renowned Field Marshall and Secretary of State for War who commanded British troops in several imperial conflicts.
He is well known for appearing on WW1 recruitment posters along with the call to arms: ‘Your country needs YOU’.
What did he do?
The good:
- Won the Battle of Omdurman in 1898 and securing the Sudan for the British
- Amassed the biggest volunteer army ever in Britain during the First World War
- Commanded British troops in Egypt, where the controller-general branded Kitchener ‘the most able soldier’ he had ever known
The bad:
- Kitchener masterminded the use of concentration camps to imprison Boers during the Second Boer War in South Africa at the turn of the 20th century
- Thousands of men, women and children died in these horrific prisons, many from disease and starvation
Who wants his statue removed?
Kitchener’s statue is named as a target on the website Topple The Racists.
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone (1809 – 1898) served as a Liberal British Prime Minister for 12 years. A plaque celebrates Gladstone at the Royal Albion Hotel, Brighton (right)
Where is the statue?
A plaque celebrates William Ewart Gladstone at the Royal Albion Hotel, Brighton.
Who is he?
William Ewart Gladstone (1809 – 1898) served as a Liberal British Prime Minister for 12 years, across four terms from 1868 to 1894.
He was involved in claims that his father was one of the largest owners of slaves in the Caribbean as well as a driving figure of the West India lobby.
His father Sir John, the owner of large sugar plantations in the Caribbean, was compensated with the equivalent of about £83 million today after slavery was abolished in 1833.
The bad:
- Gladstone supported the Slave Compensation Act 1837, an act which payed compensation for slave-owners but nothing to newly liberated people
- He supported the system of apprenticeship which required slaves to continue labouring for former masters for four to six years in exchange for provisions
The good:
- Championed political reform, home rule for Ireland and working-class rights
- Campaigned against the excesses of British imperialism
Who wants his statue removed?
Gladstone’s plaque is named as a target on the website Topple The Racists.
Sir Henry De La Beche
Sir Henry De La Beche was a renowned geologist and paleontologist in the 19th century
Where is the statue?
Inside Imperial College, where several buildings are named after him too.
Who wants the statue removed?
Students at Imperial College have long been campaigning to remove him, and he is named on the Topple Racism website.
Who was he?
Sir Henry De La Beche (1796 – 1855) was a renowned geologist and paleontologist in the 19th century, he founded the Geological Survey of Great Britain.
The bad:
- Owned plantations in Jamaica where slaves were used
The good:
- Organised the first geological survey of Great Britain
- Mapped the Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils of Devon and Cornwall
Ronald Fisher
Ronald Fisher (1890 – 1962) was a mathematician and geneticist (left) A stained glass window in the dining hall of Caius College, Cambridge, commemorates Fisher (right)
Where is the statue?
A stained glass window in the dining hall of Caius College, Cambridge, commemorates Fisher.
Who is he?
Ronald Fisher (1890 – 1962) was a mathematician and geneticist who is viewed as the father of modern statistics.
He was also a pioneer in evolutionary theories and helped revive Darwinism in the 20th Century.
One of the ‘finest minds of his era’, Fisher held academic posts at University College London and Cambridge.
The bad:
- Fisher’s fascination of genetics led him to discover eugenics, of which he became an advocate
- He also held staunch views on race and in the aftermath of WW1 criticised UNESCO for trying to coordinate a united condemnation of racism, stating his belief that races differed
The good
- In 1925 he published Statistical Methods for Research Workers which popularised the ‘p-value’, now widely used in research to calculate probabilities
- Fisher publicly acknowledged the link between lung cancer and smoking
Who wants to remove it?
The window is on a list of targets featured on the Topple the Racists website.