Liverpool mayor refuses to change name of Penny Lane that was made famous by The Beatles after claims it was named after 18th century slaver

  • Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson has knocked down calls to change the iconic street name Penny Lane
  • Protestors claim that it has links to slave ship owner and anti-abolitionist James Penny who defended slavery
  • 78 statues and monuments have been added to a 'hit list' because of connections to colonialism
  • Cardiff City Council is backing the removal of Sir Thomas Picton from its city hall over his slave ownership 
  • 130 Labour councils have promised to 'review the appropriateness of local monuments and statues' 
  • Monument of 18th Century slave dealer Robert Milligan was removed from West India Quay in London

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The Mayor of Liverpool has slapped down calls to change the street name Penny Lane after allegations resurfaced that it is linked to an 18th Century slave ship owner.

Joe Anderson said there is no evidence to support the claim that the south Liverpool road - made famous by The Beatles' song of the same name - is derived from James Penny, a merchant and anti-abolitionist who made his wealth working from Merseyside.

The landmark was not included in a list of dozens of statues, street names and artworks that Black Lives Matter protestors are demanding should be taken down due to connections to the slave trade

Speaking to followers on social media this week, the reflective Labour mayor admitted that Liverpool 'has not done anywhere near enough in making changes’ to help ethnic minorities, and after making an apology for the inaction said the council needed to 'follow up' by making changes.

But when a Twitter user challenged Mr Anderson to take 'the bold step' and change Penny Lane’s name, he responded by saying there is 'no evidence that “Penny Lane” is named after slave trader James Penny', saying it comes instead from a historic toll bridge 'that cost a penny'.

He added: 'We are working with BAME community and historians to look at this and what we should do.'

Now at least 72 memorials honouring colonial figures have been targeted for destruction of activists on its 'Topple the Racists' website and yesterday they forced the removal of 18th Century slave dealer Robert Milligan from outside the Museum of London in West India Quay, Docklands.

The move began on Sunday when Black Lives Matter protestors in Bristol tore down slave trader Edward Colston's statue and rolled it into the harbour.

Over 130 councils have now announced plans to review monuments in their authorities for 'appropriateness', and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he would conduct his own review into statues and street names in the capital.

Mayor Anderson also announced that Liverpool Council will proceed with plans to fix signs describing Liverpool's role in slavery to roads named after slave owners. Roads that could be included are Rodney Street, Parr Street and Earle Street in the city centre, but not Penny Lane.

Penny Lane became famous after The Beatles released a song of the same name and now the road has become a place where many fans visit to commemorate the band. 

As debate rages over the future of many of Britain's most famous monuments, it has also emerged: 

  • Boris Johnson reiterated that 'black lives matter' to him during fiery PMQs with Sir Keir Starmer;
  • Colston's School in Bristol is considering changing its name after statue of Edward Colston was torn down on Sunday;
  • Oxford University chancellor Chris Patten accuses Cecil Rhodes statue protesters of 'hypocrisy' because imperialist's trust funds scholarships for 20 African students a year;
  • An Oxford-educated museum curator tweets to BLM supporters instructions on how to destroy statues with household chemicals - and says next target should be memorial to Winston Churchill's Parliament Square statue;
  • Football hooligans and far-Right activists have called for a 'ring of steel' around Churchill and the Cenotaph this weekend as Tommy Robinson slams 'soft-handed police' ahead of more protests;
The Mayor of Liverpool has slapped down calls to change the street name Penny Lane after allegations resurfaced that it is linked to an 18th Century slave ship owner

The Mayor of Liverpool has slapped down calls to change the street name Penny Lane after allegations resurfaced that it is linked to an 18th Century slave ship owner

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson
Slave ship owner James Penny

Joe Anderson (left) said there is no evidence to support the claim that the south Liverpool road - made famous by The Beatles' song of the same name - is derived from James Penny (right), a merchant and anti-abolitionist who made his wealth working from Merseyside

But when a Twitter user challenged Mr Anderson to take 'the bold step' and change Penny Lane¿s name, he responded by saying there is 'no evidence that ¿Penny Lane¿ is named after slave trader James Penny', saying it comes instead from a historic toll bridge 'that cost a penny'

But when a Twitter user challenged Mr Anderson to take 'the bold step' and change Penny Lane’s name, he responded by saying there is 'no evidence that “Penny Lane” is named after slave trader James Penny', saying it comes instead from a historic toll bridge 'that cost a penny'

The road is not believed to have any connection to James Penny a merchant and slave ship owner who infamously opposed the abolition of slavery. In an inquiry into the slave trade following America's declaration of independence, Penny even defended the slave trade to the British Parliament. 

It comes as the University of Liverpool has said it has agreed to change the name of its Gladstone Hall residential building after a group of students called on it to remove former Prime Minister William Gladstone's name due to 'his views on slavery'.

In London, the internationally-renowned Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London has revealed it will consider whether to remove a statue of its founder Sir Thomas Guy - but will not change its name - as a senior minister backed a Black Lives Matter campaign to topple upwards of 70 monuments to slave traders. 

Sir Thomas helped set up the hospital near London Bridge in 1721 having made his fortune in the 17th and 18th centuries as a major shareholder of a company selling slaves to the Spanish Colonies. 

Today Guy's and St Thomas' welcomed Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's review of statues and street names in the capital and said the future of its own monument to its founder outside the Guy's building should be considered.  

A spokesman said: 'We recognise and understand the anger felt by the black community and are fully committed to playing our part in ending racism, discrimination and inequality', adding: 'There are no plans to change the name of the hospital'. 

Today Boris Johnson's Business and Industry Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who was born in Iraq and moved to the UK with his Kurdish parents aged nine, said there should be no statues of slave traders in Britain.

Mr Zahawi said they should not be torn down illegally like Edward Colston's in Bristol, but said: 'Any slave trader should not have a statue. But I wouldn't be breaking the law to take statues down, it should be done through our democratic process. It should be up to local people to decide what they want to do. If the majority of people decide that we want the statues down, then they should be taken down'. 

The removal of a statue of the so-called 'Tyrant of Trinidad' Sir Thomas Picton from Cardiff city hall is nearing success as all of Labour's 130 UK local authorities agreed to draw up a list of controversial statues in their communities which could be ripped down after Edward Colston's was destroyed in Bristol on Sunday.  

Cardiff City Council's leader Huw Thomas has backed the campaign to rip it down calling it an 'affront' to black people in the Welsh capital because he executed dozens of slaves. He was even put on trial in England for illegally torturing a 14-year-old girl - extremely rare at the turn of the 19th century - but after being convicted he successfully appealed. 

While noting Picton's statue commemorated his part in the Napoleonic Wars and being the highest ranking officer to die at Waterloo, Councillor Thomas said: 'The growing awareness and understanding of the brutal nature of his governorship of Trinidad and his involvement in slavery makes it, in my view, very difficult to reconcile his presence in City Hall'. 

A 25ft obelisk dedicated to him on the outskirts of Carmarthen town centre, which has been there since 1888, is also subject to a petition for removal. It stands on Picton Terrace, which also faces calls to be renamed. 

There are at least five statues of two-time British prime minister Sir Robert Peel also under threat because his MP father, also called Robert Peel, campaigned for slavery to continue. His son is considered the father of the modern police, after setting up the Met as Home Secretary in 1829. Some BLM supporters are also angry because of his links to policing.  

A statue of Sir Thomas Guy, sits outside Guy's Hospital,  which he founded in 1721 with £19,000 of his own money, equivalent to £2million today. Today the NHS Trust admitted it would consider its removal in a review set up by Sadiq Khan demands it because he made his money from slavery. Former bookseller Thomas Guy made his fortune through the ownership of shares in the South Sea Company, which had a monopoly on trafficking slaves to Spain's colonies in South America in 1713

A statue of Sir Thomas Guy, sits outside Guy's Hospital,  which he founded in 1721 with £19,000 of his own money, equivalent to £2million today. Today the NHS Trust admitted it would consider its removal in a review set up by Sadiq Khan demands it because he made his money from slavery. Former bookseller Thomas Guy made his fortune through the ownership of shares in the South Sea Company, which had a monopoly on trafficking slaves to Spain's colonies in South America in 1713

The next to fall? This tribute to Sir Thomas Picton in Cardiff City Hall is expected to fall after the council's leader also demanded its removal
There are at least five statues of two-time British prime minister Sir Robert Peel also under threat because his MP father, also called Robert Peel, campaigned for slavery to continue. Sir Robery Peel is also known as the 'Father of Modern Policing' after he set up the Metropolitan Police Force in 1829.

The next to fall? This tribute to Sir Thomas Picton in Cardiff City Hall is expected to fall after the council's leader also demanded its removal.  There are at least five statues of two-time British prime minister Sir Robert Peel (right in Parliament Square) also under threat because his MP father, also called Robert Peel, campaigned for slavery to continue

An aerial view of the Sir Thomas Picton obelisk on Picton Terrace in Camerthen, Wales, which is also on the BLM supporters' hit list. Picton was known as the 'Tyrant of Trinidad' owing to his brutal regime as governor of the Caribbean island. In 1806 he was convicted of ordering the illegal torture of a 14-year-old girl, Louisa Calderon. A charge that was later overturned.

An aerial view of the Sir Thomas Picton obelisk on Picton Terrace in Camerthen, Wales, which is also on the BLM supporters' hit list. Picton was known as the 'Tyrant of Trinidad' owing to his brutal regime as governor of the Caribbean island. In 1806 he was convicted of ordering the illegal torture of a 14-year-old girl, Louisa Calderon. A charge that was later overturned.

Thomas Guy: The London bookseller who made his fortune through shares in slave trading firm... then sold them to found hospital in his name   

Former bookseller Thomas Guy made his fortune through the ownership of shares in the South Sea Company, which had a monopoly on trafficking slaves to Spain's colonies in South America in 1713.

The British firm was created predominantly to sell enslaved people and had a target to trade 4,800 adult men every year.

Guy sold his shares in the company at the top of the market in 1720, letting £50,000 of stock go for more than £250,000 - the equivalent of £400million in modern-day prices.

Having created almshouses, he founded Guy's Hospital close to this London birthplace with the aim of providing care to 'incurables and lunatics'.

He died in 1724 and his will was so complex and so high in value that an Act of Parliament was needed to enact it, and he left nearly £220,000 to the hospital.

The bulk of his estate was left in trust to complete work on the hospital, while a further sum was set aside for the release of prisoners in the capital who owed debts.

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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. 

Also in Scotland a memorial to General James George Smith Neill, which stands in Wellington Square, Ayr, is also under threat. General Neill served during the Indian rebellion of 1857 and accused of ordering the deaths of many Indians following the Bibighar massacre. 

Plymouth council said a public square named after slave trader Sir John Hawkins would be renamed while in nearby Exeter council chiefs will review the future of the city's statue of General Buller, who is rumoured to have had a hand in the introduction of concentration camps seen during the Boer War. 

A debate has erupted over the legacy of 19th century prime minister Sir Robert Peel after those calling for his statues to be removed were accused of targeting the wrong man.

Lancashire-born Sir Robert, who is best known for founding the Metropolitan Police, is immortalised in a number of statues across the north of England and Scotland.

Five of these - in Leeds, Glasgow, Bury, Manchester and Preston - were included on a map of possible other targets following the toppling of the monument to Edward Colston in Bristol.

The Glasgow statue was daubed with graffiti at the weekend.

But many people have come to the two-time PM's defence, suggesting anti-racist campaigners may have got the wrong Sir Robert.

References to him being a vocal opponent of the abolition of slavery because it threatened his fortune in the cotton trade appear to have confused him with his father, also called Sir Robert Peel.

At a press conference in Leeds on Wednesday, Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake said: 'There seems to be now a recognition that there has been some misunderstanding about the Robert Peel whose statue is in Leeds and that it was actually his father who worked in the cotton trade.

The 78 'racist' statues BLM supporters would like to be destroyed

 

1) Lord Kitchener, Orkney

2) Duke of Sutherland, Golspie

3) Jim Crow, Dunoon

4) Henry Dundas, Edinburgh

5) Lord Roberts, Glasgow

6) Thomas Carlyle, Glasgow

7) Sir Robert Peel, Glasgow

8) Colin Campbell, Glasgow

9) John Moore, Glasgow

10) James George Smith Neill, Ayr

11) William Armstrong, Newcastle

12) Captain James Cook, Great Ayton

13) Robert Peel, Bradford

14) Robert Peel, Leeds

15) Robert Peel, Preston

16) Robert Peel, Bury

17) Robert Peel, Manchester

18) Bryan Blundell, Liverpool

19) Christopher Columbus, Liverpool

20) Martin's Bank, Liverpool

21) Admiral Nelson, Liverpool

22) William Leverhulme, Wirral

23) Henry Morton Stanley, St Asaph

24) Henry Morton Stanley, Denbigh

25) William Gladstone, Hawarden

26) Elihu Yale, Wrexham

27) Green Man, Ashbourne

28) Robert Clive, Shropshire

29) Robert Peel, Tamworth

30) Robert Peel, Birmingham

31) Ronald A Fisher, Cambridge

32) Cecil Rhodes, Bishops Stortford

33) Thomas Phillips, Brecon

34) General Nott, Carmarthen

35) Thomas Picton, Carmarthen

36) Henry Austin Bruce, Cardiff

37) Thomas Picton, Cardiff

38) Codrington Library, Oxford

39) Cecil Rhodes, Oxford

40) Edward Colston (school 1), Bristol

41) Edward Colston (school 2), Bristol

42) Edward Colston (statue), Bristol

43) Edward Colston (tower), Bristol

44) Edward Colston (hall), Bristol

45) George Alfred Wills, Bristol

46) William Beckford, London

47) Robert Geffrye, London

48) Francis Galton, London

49) King Charles II, London

50) King James II, London

51) Robert Clive, London

52) Oliver Cromwell, London

53) Robert Clayton, London

54) Henry De la Beche, London

55) Christopher Columbus, London

56) Thomas Guy (1/2), London

57) Thomas Guy (2/2), London

58) Robert Milligan, London

59) Francis Drake, London

60) Robert Blake, London

61) Admiral Nelson, London

62) Captain Edward August Lendy, London

63) East India Estate, London

64) Stephen Clark, London

65) Charles James Napier, London

66) Earl Mountbatten, London

67) Jan Smuts, London

68) Admiral Horatio Nelson, London

69) Lord Kitchener, Chatham

70) Edward Codrington, Brighton

71) William Ewart Gladstone, Brighton

72) Drax family, Wareham

73) Robert Baden-Powell, Poole

74) Redvers Buller, Exeter

75) Francis Drake, Tavistock

76) Walter Raleigh, Bodmin

77) Nancy Astor, Plymouth

78) Francis Drake, Plymouth  

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'It's very interesting looking at comments over in the North West where he was born in Bury. There's a really strong reaction that actually Robert Peel was a reformer and did do many things that have had a lasting impression and impact, not least establishing a police force that doesn't carry arms.'

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: 'I think there is a feeling there is a misunderstanding here which is that his father had links to the slave trade rather than Peel himself, or the Peel who is commemorated in different places in Greater Manchester.

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'. 

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'. 

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is also conducting his own review of statues in the capital and believes all the city's slave trader monuments should be axed.  

Campaigners have set their sights on statues on private property, such as the monument of Cecil Rhodes at Oxford University, where yesterday crowds of protesters rallied. 

A statue of the colonialist who claimed Bermuda as part of the British Empire has been vandalised amid anti-racism protests.

The word 'murderer' has been daubed across an information board next to the bronze figure of Sir George Somers in Lyme Regis, Dorset.

Somers discovered the island in 1609 after his ship, destined for Virigina, US, was blown off course by a hurricane.

He died there just a year later by which time the region had been claimed by the British Crown.

A bustling slave trade later emerged on the island in the 1640s.

By 1720 there were more than 3,500 slaves among a population of just 8,000 people.

Many have since argued that Somers' discovery paved the way for slavery - which is believed to be why his statue has now been targeted.

Yet another 19th century statue - of the man who found lost explorer Dr David Livingstone in an African jungle looks set for the chop.

A petition to remove the statue of Sir Henry Stanley from the centre of Denbiegh in Wales - where he was born - has already attracted more than 1,500 signatures.

The tribute to Sir Henry was installed by Denbigh Town Council ten years ago and re-creates the moment he uttered the famous phrase - 'Dr Livingstone, I presume?' - when he found the explorer in East Africa in 1871.

There was criticism at the time amid claims that the 19th-century explorer was guilty of crimes against humanity and supported slavery.

Organiser Simon Jones said: 'Out of respect to the Black Lives Matter campaign, the statue of Stanley should be removed from Denbigh town centre immediately.

'He was known for his brutal treatment of Africans to the extent that he used to shoot black children from his boat to calibrate his rifle sights while sailing down river.

'A statue to a man like that has no place in Welsh society in 2020. It is an insult to African people that it stands pride of place in the town.' 

Black Lives Matter demonstrators were joined by a police chief constable taking the knee at a special event in memory of George Floyd.

Kent Police's Alan Pughsley is believed to be the first top cop in the UK to kneel in solidarity with the 46-year-old's death in Minneapolis, USA. 

Mr Pughsley was filmed performing the symbolic gesture at an event in Gravesend, Kent while other officers also joined the socially distanced group of more than 50 people.

Last night in London there was 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.

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. 

Exeter City Council, a Labour authority, will review the future of the city's statue of General Redvers  Buller - who was linked to the introduction of concentration camps in the Boer War. The Old Etonian was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Zulu War after rescuing a number of comrades under fire, before being promoted to the Head of the Army and sent to South Africa at the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899.

Exeter City Council, a Labour authority, will review the future of the city's statue of General Redvers  Buller - who was linked to the introduction of concentration camps in the Boer War. The Old Etonian was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Zulu War after rescuing a number of comrades under fire, before being promoted to the Head of the Army and sent to South Africa at the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899. 

The word 'murderer' has been daubed across an information board next to the bronze figure of Sir George Somers in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Sir Somers was English privateer who claimed the English colony of Bermuda, also known as the Somers Isles.

The word 'murderer' has been daubed across an information board next to the bronze figure of Sir George Somers in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Sir Somers was English privateer who claimed the English colony of Bermuda, also known as the Somers Isles.

The equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington with a traffic cone on his head and wearing a face mask in Glasgow today

The equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington with a traffic cone on his head and wearing a face mask in Glasgow today

A Black Lives Matter campaigner hugs a police officer following a march from Green Park to Trafalgar Square in London today
A BLM campaigner hugs a police officer

A Black Lives Matter campaigner hugs a police officer following a march from Green Park to Trafalgar Square in London today

The next in line? BLM supporters have pinpointed a list of their next targets, but the most widely shared are  (top left to bottom right) 1) Lord Nelson ¿ tried to stop abolition (Nelson's column) 2) Sir Thomas Picton 3) Thomas Guy - London, Guy's Hospital 4) Sir Robert Peel 5) Sir Francis Drake 6) William Beckford 7) Henry Dundas 8) Clive of India 9) John Cass 10) General Sir Redvers Buller 11) Lord Kitchener 12) Ronald Fisher 13) Lord Grey - Grey's Monument - Newcastle Upon Tyne, Grainger Street 14) Oliver Cromwell ¿ Statue - London, Houses of Parliament 15) Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde ¿ Statue - Glasgow, George Square 16) William Ewart Gladstone 17) William Leverhulme ¿ Statue - Wirral, outside Lady Lever Art Gallery 18) William Armstrong - Memorial - Newcastle Upon Tyne, Eldon Place 19) King James II ¿ Statue - London, Trafalgar Square 20) General James George Smith Neill, Wellington Square, Ayr

The next in line? BLM supporters have pinpointed a list of their next targets, but the most widely shared are  (top left to bottom right) 1) Lord Nelson – tried to stop abolition (Nelson's column) 2) Sir Thomas Picton 3) Thomas Guy - London, Guy's Hospital 4) Sir Robert Peel 5) Sir Francis Drake 6) William Beckford 7) Henry Dundas 8) Clive of India 9) John Cass 10) General Sir Redvers Buller 11) Lord Kitchener 12) Ronald Fisher 13) Lord Grey - Grey's Monument - Newcastle Upon Tyne, Grainger Street 14) Oliver Cromwell – Statue - London, Houses of Parliament 15) Colin Campbell, Lord Clyde – Statue - Glasgow, George Square 16) William Ewart Gladstone 17) William Leverhulme – Statue - Wirral, outside Lady Lever Art Gallery 18) William Armstrong - Memorial - Newcastle Upon Tyne, Eldon Place 19) King James II – Statue - London, Trafalgar Square 20) General James George Smith Neill, Wellington Square, Ayr

The 130 Labour councils considering whether they should pull down imperialist statues

Majority Labour  

Amber Valley. Barking and Dagenham. Barnsley. Barrow-in-Furness. Bassetlaw. Birmingham.  Blackburn with Darwen. Blackpool. Bradford. Brent. Bristol. Bury. Calderdale. Cambridge. Camden. Cardiff. Chesterfield. Chorley. Copeland. Corby. Coventry.  Crawley. Croydon. Doncaster. Durham. Ealing. Enfield. Exeter. Gateshead. Gedling. Gravesham.  Greenwich. Hackney. Halton. Hammersmith and Fulham. Haringey. Harlow. Harrow. Hastings. High Peak. Hounslow. Hyndburn. Ipswich. Islington. Kingston upon. Hull. Kirklees. Knowsley. Lambeth. Leeds. Leicester. Lewisham. Lincoln. Liverpool. Luton. Manchester. Merton. Neath. Port Talbot. Newcastle upon Tyne. Newham. Newport. North Tyneside. Norwich. Nottingham. Oldham. Oxford. Plymouth. Preston. Reading. Redbridge. Rhondda Cynon Taf.  Rochdale. Rossendale. Rotherham. Salford. Sandwell . Sefton.  Sheffield. Slough. South Tyneside. Southampton. Southwark.  St Helens. Stevenage. Sunderland. Swansea. Tameside. Telford and Wrekin. Tower Hamlets. Trafford. Wakefield. Waltham Forest.  Warrington. West Lancashire. Wigan. Wolverhampton.

Labour in coalition

Cannock Chase. Cheshire East. Cheshire West and Chester. Cumbria. Dumfries and Galloway. East Lothian. Flintshire. Inverclyde. Lancaster. Lewes. Mansfield. Midlothian. Milton Keynes. North Ayrshire. North Hertfordshire. North Lanarkshire. North Somerset  Nuneaton and Bedworth. Pembrokeshire. Pendle. Rother. Scarborough. South Ayrshire. Southend-on-Sea. Stirling. Stockport. Stockton-on-Tees. Stroud. Swale. Thanet. Vale of Glamorgan. Waverley West Lothian. Wirral. Wyre Forest.

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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 Biggs, 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 last night 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. 

At last night'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 las night'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 also packed into Leicester city centre last night during 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. 

BLM had their first success last night after the Museum of London and Tower Hamlets Council agreed to remove a statue of Robert Milligan, a slave trader and plantation owner, from Docklands

BLM had their first success last night after the Museum of London and Tower Hamlets Council agreed to remove a statue of Robert Milligan, a slave trader and plantation owner, from Docklands

Member of the public Graham Newby leaves a sign that reads 'Leave her alone who as ever done this hang your head in shame' on a statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor, Leeds

Member of the public Graham Newby leaves a sign that reads 'Leave her alone who as ever done this hang your head in shame' on a statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor, Leeds

Graffiti on a statue of Robert Viscount Melville in Edinburgh - who delayed the abolition of slavery -  as the city council leader said he would not be unhappy if it want

Graffiti on a statue of Robert Viscount Melville in Edinburgh - who delayed the abolition of slavery -  as the city council leader said he would not be unhappy if it want

A Winston Churchill statue has been vandalised today at Woodford Green in North London

A Winston Churchill statue has been vandalised today at Woodford Green in North London

Oxford University chancellor Chris Patten accuses Cecil Rhodes statue protesters of 'hypocrisy' because imperialist's trust funds scholarships for 20 African students a year 

Lord Chris Patten, who has no power to remove the Rhodes statue, located at Oxford University's Oriel College, said a trust set up after the mining magnate's death pays for the education of more than a dozen African students at the prestigious each year

Lord Chris Patten (pictured left), who has no power to remove the Rhodes statue (pictured right), located at Oxford University's Oriel College, said a trust set up after the mining magnate's death pays for the education of more than a dozen African students at the prestigious each year.

The chancellor of Oxford University has hit out at the 'hypocrisy' around protests to remove a statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes.

Lord Chris Patten, who has no power to remove the Rhodes statue, located at Oxford University's Oriel College, said a trust set up after the mining magnate's death pays for the education of more than a dozen African students at the prestigious university each year.

But he also called for a 'sensible discussion' over the removal of Rhodes' statue, which has become a focal point amid continuing anti-racism protests from the Black Lives Matter movement - who at the weekend toppled a statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol. 

Meanwhile, concern continues that Oriel College chiefs may be reluctant to remove the statue over fears they face the loss of millions of pounds in funding, as revealed by a leaked report in 2016.  

Commenting on the protests, Lord Patten, who was the last Governor of Hong Kong from 1992 to 1997 and Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992,  told BBC Radio Four's Today Programme: 'Firstly I am very pleased the demonstrations were peaceful and secondly I don't make the decision on whether the statue comes down'.

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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.

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.'

Sadiq Khan has 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'. 

The Queen Victoria Statue in Woodhouse Moor Park in Leeds today, West Yorkshire which has had 'Black Lives Matter', 'BLM' and 'Slave Owner' spray painted on it. Queen Victoria became the British monarch in 1837, four years after the Abolition of Slavery Act.

The Queen Victoria Statue in Woodhouse Moor Park in Leeds today, West Yorkshire which has had 'Black Lives Matter', 'BLM' and 'Slave Owner' spray painted on it. Queen Victoria became the British monarch in 1837, four years after the Abolition of Slavery Act. 

Black Lives Matter and 'slave owner' were among the phrases daubed on the statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor Park in Leeds before being removed today.

Black Lives Matter and 'slave owner' were among the phrases daubed on the statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor Park in Leeds before being removed today.

Who are the men behind the statues BLM activists want to tear down

Cecil Rhodes

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  

Thomas Guy

Where is his statue?

Outside Guy's Hospital in London, England

Guy was founder of Guys' Hospital, London. 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 supplied 4800 slaves each year for 30 years to Spanish plantations in Central and Southern America

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

• In his will Guy bequeathed financial support for prisoners with debt in London, Middlesex and Surrey to be released

William Beckford - Slave owner and politician

Where is his statue? In the Guildhall in London

William Beckford (1709-1770) 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?

• Inherited and oversaw 13 sugar plantations and more than 1,000 slaves in Jamaica.

• Campaigned for civil liberties as an MP and in 1770 demanded the King dissolve parliament to remove evil ministers.

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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'.  

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. 

 

Football hooligans and far-Right activists call for 'ring of steel' around Churchill and Cenotaph this weekend as Tommy Robinson slams 'soft-handed police'

Police fear far-Right thugs could descend on London this weekend to take on anti-racism protesters, with football hooligans planning counter-protests to 'defend' memorials and statues.

The Democratic Football Lads Alliance, founded in 2017 with a supposed aim of opposing terrorism, has urged members to defend war memorials at Whitehall this Saturday from midday.

It urged people to 'defend what our war heroes done for this country and their honour', with members expected to gather by the Winston Churchill statue and the Cenotaph. 

And former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson called for opposition protests in a two-minute video in which he accused police of being 'soft-handed' at Black Lives Matters marches.

Black Lives Matter protesters clash with opponents next to the Winston Churchill statue in Westminster yesterday. The clashes follow week-long protests across the world in response to the death to George Floyd in America.

Black Lives Matter protesters clash with opponents next to the Winston Churchill statue in Westminster yesterday. The clashes follow week-long protests across the world in response to the death to George Floyd in America.

The Democratic Football Lads Alliance, founded in 2017 with a supposed aim of opposing terrorism, urged members to defend monuments

The Democratic Football Lads Alliance, founded in 2017 with a supposed aim of opposing terrorism, urged members to defend monuments

Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson
Robinson called for opposition protests in a two-minute video in which he accused police of being 'soft-handed' at BLM marches

Former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson called for opposition protests in a two-minute video in which he accused police of being 'soft-handed' at BLM marches

Mr Newby cleans graffiti from the statue of Queen Victoria at Woodhouse Moor in Leeds today

Mr Newby cleans graffiti from the statue of Queen Victoria at Woodhouse Moor in Leeds today

He accused officers of failing to act because there were 'too many people who aren't white'.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said: 'We have got the perfect storm ahead of us this weekend, we have got planned protests and now Tommy Robinson and his agitators.'

Several football 'firms' plan further demonstrations. A group of Millwall fans spent part of yesterday guarding the statue of Churchill in Parliament Square. 

Other fans from as far as Cardiff and Blackpool also descended on London and said they were prepared to use force to prevent vandalism.

The Democratic Football Lads Alliance has urged members to defend monuments, but Hope Not Hate chief executive Nick Lowles said 'their real objective' is simply violence.

The plans echo a 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when neo-Nazis clashed with counter-demontrators over plans to remove a statue of General Robert E. Lee, the American Confederate. It culminated with a white supremacist ramming his car into a crowd, killing a woman and injuring 19.

Black Lives Matter activists in Britain have compiled a list of 60 'racist statues' they want removed for 'celebrating slavery'.

Coventry City fans sit under the Lady Godiva statue at Broadgate Square yesterday to celebrate promotion into the Championship after the League One season was ended early

Coventry City fans sit under the Lady Godiva statue at Broadgate Square yesterday to celebrate promotion into the Championship after the League One season was ended early

As protests continue to grow over monuments linked to colonialism, hundreds of demonstrators surrounded an Oxford college last night demanding a monument to Cecil Rhodes be torn down.

Protesters gathered in Oxford High Street kneeling for eight minutes and 46 seconds – the time George Floyd had a white police officer kneeling on his neck which led to his death in Minneapolis.

The crowd chanted 'take it down' as police stood guard at the entrance to Oriel College.

Rally organiser Ndjodi Ndeunyema, a law student and former Rhodes scholar whose education has been partially funded by a trust set up by the 19th century colonialist, said: 'The statue remaining is an affront on the university's support for movements such as Black Lives Matter. 

A man holds a cross with an England flag on top of it as police guard the statue of Winston Churchill at Parliament Square yesterday afternoon

A man holds a cross with an England flag on top of it as police guard the statue of Winston Churchill at Parliament Square yesterday afternoon

'Rhodes is not worthy of veneration or glorification because of the racism and subjugation he represents'.

Elsewhere, vandals in Leeds targeted a memorial to Queen Victoria, daubing the word 'slave owner' on the plinth even though she was crowned four years after the abolition of slavery.

Last night a Downing Street spokesman urged police to make their own decisions about whether to intervene if protesters try to pull down statues.

It comes after officers stood by while a statue of Edward Colston was thrown into Bristol harbour.

 

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-plus 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.

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

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 was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy known for inspirational leadership. Nelson's column, Trafalgar Square, London (right)
Nelson's column, Trafalgar Square, London

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
Statues of Sir Robert Peel stand in London's Parliament Square, Glasgow's George Square, Bury and Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens

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 was an East India Company officer
His statue stands in Shrewsbury Square and King Charles Street, London (pictured)

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) a military officer who enjoyed a prolific career before being killed at the Battle of Waterloo.
His statue inside Cardiff City Hall

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
A statue of Sir Francis Drake at Plymouth Hoe Bowling Club, Devon

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
His state, 150ft high, on the top of the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, Scotland

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

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)

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)

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
His statue stands near St David's Church in Exeter, Devon

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) was a renowned Field Marshall and Secretary of State for War
His statue stands on Khartoum Road in Chatham, Kent, where he was Earl

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

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

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 who is viewed as the father of modern statistics
A stained glass window in the dining hall of Caius College, Cambridge, commemorates 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.

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