Winston Churchill note dropped by Bank of England after being told he was ‘elitist’ | UK | News

Wartime hero Sir Winston Churchill has allegedly been deleted from our nation’s currency after the Bank of England was told he was “elitist and divisive”.

The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, the bank’s once popular nickname, has announced that it will phase out historical giants such as Churchill, Alan Turing and Jane Austen in favor of wildlife to thwart crooks who have become better at copying faces.

The Governor of the Bank of England also wrote in the Telegraph this week: “Our Bank’s overriding objective is the security of our banknotes, including tackling the threat of counterfeiting.”

But the Telegraph’s Freedom of Information request revealed revealing findings from an October 2025 report the bank commissioned with market research consultant Savanta.

According to the article, The report found that historical figures represented “a backwards-looking vision of the United Kingdom that risks enormous division and controversy” and that Jane Austen and figures like her “were argumentative and did not represent the cultural and natural diversity of the United Kingdom”.

Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick told the Telegraph that the Bank of England “needs to stop wasting time and money on this”.

Retired British Army officer Colonel Richard Kemp said: “If it weren’t for great and brave figures like Churchill and Turing, we might have swastikas on our banknotes today.”

As part of feedback from consultations, the Telegraph found that one focus group participant said mathematician Alan Turing was “a bit of an imperialist”. Although Churchill was not named directly, about 120 participants in Savanta’s focus groups said the historical figures were “potentially divisive, elitist and out of touch with their own experiences.”

In March this year, the Bank of England announced that nature had been chosen as the theme for its next series of banknotes. The issue received the highest number of nominations in last year’s consultations, as well as support in focus groups.

Much of the feedback received by the bank was about wildlife native to the UK. A dolphin, a fox, a butterfly, an owl, a bumblebee and a shark are among the animals that could feature on Bank of England banknotes and could eventually replace historical figures.

The Bank of England is asking people to give their views on a selection of native British wildlife that will feature in its next series of banknotes in a consultation launched on Wednesday.

Working with a panel of wildlife experts, the Bank has compiled a short list of animals that could be the main image on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

The bank said it was important to have four different animals in four denominations and that they could represent different environments across the UK. Given this, the Bank may not necessarily choose the four animals that received the highest number of responses, he said.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision, taking into account feedback from the public. The bank said it was particularly interested in hearing from UK residents and British nationals living abroad. It can be sent via the bank’s website or by mail.

The bank will announce the outcome of the consultation by the end of 2026. The bank said it would take several years to launch the next series, which involves a detailed, multi-year process required to design, test and print the banknotes.

Historical figures who helped shape Britain through innovation, leadership and values ​​have been featured on Bank of England banknotes since 1970. The first of the current series has been in circulation since 2016, when £5 notes featuring Sir Winston Churchill were issued.

The current series of banknotes in circulation also features Jane Austen on the £10 note, JMW Turner on the £20 note and Alan Turing on the £50 note.