Nigel Farage has hit out at the Bank of England's plans to replace Winston Churchill on banknotes with British wildlife, labelling the move 'PC mad and loony'. The Reform UK leader accused the central bank of going 'absolutely crackers' over the decision.
In a video posted on X, Mr Farage said the Bank of England was proposing to replace 'giant figures like Winston Churchill' with a picture of a beaver. 'No I'm not making it up, this is what they are actually proposing,' he said. 'This is how PC mad and loony everyone has gone, including the Bank of England.'
The Bank of England confirmed that a consultation had taken place in which the UK wildlife theme received the highest number of nominations. A second consultation will be held this summer to gather views on specific wildlife species the public would like to feature.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank's chief cashier, said the key driver for introducing a new banknote series was to increase counterfeit resilience, but it also provided an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK. 'Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective and means we can showcase the UK's rich and varied wildlife on the next series of banknotes,' she said.
The new banknotes will not be issued for several years and will continue to feature a portrait of the monarch.
