The right is losing it over the results of a public consultation on banknotes
Nigel Farage has been slammed for manufacturing outrage over the decision to replace historical figures on bank notes with animals.
Farage posted a video on X saying the decision is “woke” and shows how “PC-mad and loony everyone has gone, including the Bank of England”.
Despite the change meaning historical figures including Jane Austen and Shakespeare will be removed from banknotes, Farage expressed outrage at how Winston Churchill will be replaced with a “badger”.
The decision came from a public consultation by the Bank of England. The consultation, which received 44,000 responses, found that nature was the most popular theme to put on the next set of banknotes.
While 60% of respondents selected nature, less than 40% selected historical figures.
The badger is an example of one of the animals that could be put on the banknotes.
The badger is one of several animals that could feature on the notes. A panel of experts will now draw up a wildlife shortlist for the public to vote on.
The governor of the Bank of England will make the final decision, however it will likely be a few years before new designs enter circulation.
Luke Charters, the Labour MP for York Outer, slammed Farage for “manufacturing outrage” over the banknote changes, adding that “Farage and Reform UK have spent months attacking the Bank of England itself”.
The Reform leader has also been lobbying the Bank of England to halt its bond-selling programme and urged the central bank to embrace cryptocurrency, which Reform’s largest donor invests in.
Farage has even suggested he would replace the Bank of England Governor with someone aligned to his agenda.
Charters said: “Politicians leaning on central banks is how you spook markets and undermine confidence in the economy.
“Bank of England independence, brought in by the last Labour government, exists for a reason. To keep markets and household finances stable.”
Other figures on the right have also been complaining about the results of the consultation.
Robert Jenrick MP wrote on X: “It says it all that Rachel Reeves is replacing Winston Churchill on our banknotes with a squirrel.”
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat has written an op-ed for the Telegraph in which he claims that “the new badger banknotes tell a dismal story of national decline”.
Meanwhile, fellow Tory MP Nick Timothy said: “If Nelson, Wellington or Churchill offend anybody living in this country…
“They are welcome to leave.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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