Her Majesty’s Government is planning new laws to protect statues from being removed “on a whim or at the behest of a baying mob”, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.
The legislation would require planning permission for any changes and a minister would be given the final veto, it is set to be revealed to Parliament on Monday.
Mr Jenrick said any decision to remove heritage assets in England would require planning permission and a consultation with local communities, adding that he wanted to see a “considered approach”.
He wrote: “Our view will be set out in law, that such monuments are almost always best explained and contextualised, not taken and hidden away.”
Mr Jenrick noted that he had witnessed an attempt to set a narrative which seeks to erase part of the nation’s history, saying this was “at the hand of the flash mob, or by the decree of a ‘cultural committee’ of town hall militants and woke worthies”.
He said: “We live in a country that believes in the rule of law, but when it comes to protecting our heritage, due process has been overridden. That can’t be right.
“Local people should have the chance to be consulted whether a monument should stand or not.
“What has stood for generations should be considered thoughtfully, not removed on a whim or at the behest of a baying mob.”
The news comes following the Black Lives Matter protests in the UK, during one of these ‘protests’ the Edward Colston statue was dumped into Bristol Harbour and a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill was vandalised with the words “is a racist”.
Speaking in June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country – and the whole of Europe – from a fascist and racist tyranny.
“It is absurd and shameful that this national monument should … be at risk of attack by violent protesters.
“Yes, he sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today, but he was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial.”
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Editor-in-Chief | Carl D. Pearson has been involved in British politics and media from an early age, with the key knowledge of what it takes to run a news organisation for the 21st century. Mr Pearson, as Editor-in-chief, is responsible for supervising the daily tasks of publishing media and content to UNN’s website and various platforms.
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