Bank of England launches public consultation to make pound banknotes “woke”

• The Bank of England (BoE) has opened a public consultation from July 2 to 31, inviting input on new themes for future banknotes to reflect the U.K.’s diversity and evolving identity.
• Proposed themes include historical figures, architecture, arts and sport, major events, innovation and nature. The public can also suggest alternatives, with diversity in gender, ethnicity and disability highlighted as key considerations.
• Chief Cashier Victoria Cleland emphasized that banknotes are more than currency – they symbolize national identity and offer a platform to celebrate the U.K.’s cultural and historical richness.
• U.K. banknotes have featured prominent figures like Churchill, Austen, Turner and Turing. The redesign marks a shift from a tradition dating back to Shakespeare’s debut on notes in 1970.
• Conservative politicians, including Kevin Hollinrake and Jacob Rees-Mogg, criticized the move as “wokery” and an attack on British heritage, while social media reactions were sharply divided, with some proposing controversial figures like J.K. Rowling.

The Bank of England (BoE) has announced plans to redesign its banknotes with a greater emphasis on the diversity of the United Kingdom by launching a public consultation on Wednesday, July 2, to gather ideas for future note themes.

For over half a century, U.K. banknotes have featured prominent historical figures, from playwright William Shakespeare to wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. Now, the central bank said it is time to broaden the vision of who and what appears on their currency.

“Our banknotes have celebrated notable historical figures since 1970, when William Shakespeare became the first person other than the monarch to feature on a banknote. However, there are many ways to represent the U.K.,” the regulator said on Wednesday.

The current polymer series of notes, introduced between 2016 and 2021, features Churchill (£5), novelist Jane Austen (£10), artist J.M.W. Turner (£20) and computer pioneer Alan Turing (£50) on the reverse side. The reigning monarch remains on the front of each note.

Victoria Cleland, the chief cashier at BoE, emphasized that banknotes are more than a means of payment – they’re cultural artifacts.

“Banknotes are more than just an important means of payment – they serve as a symbolic representation of our collective national identity and an opportunity to celebrate the United Kingdom. I am really keen to hear what themes the public would like to see represented on the next series of notes,” Cleland said.

In line with this, the BoE invites U.K. residents and citizens abroad to submit proposed banknote themes that mirror the country’s multifaceted identity. The Bank has identified six potential themes for the next series of notes, including notable historical figures, architecture and landmarks, arts, culture and sport, noteworthy events in history, innovation and nature. Members of the public are also welcome to propose alternative themes. The BoE also indicated that aspects of diversity, such as gender, ethnicity and disability, could influence the final choices of figures and imagery to embrace inclusion.

The public consultation will remain open through the end of July. Final decisions on the themes and eventual designs will be made by BoE Gov. Andrew Bailey, with input from advisory committees.

BoE’s banknote redesign plan sparks political backlash

The plan has immediately ignited a fierce backlash from conservative figures, who accuse the central bank of pandering to political correctness and undermining British heritage.

For instance, Shadow Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake labeled the proposal “wrongheaded wokery.” He then warned that efforts to replace historical figures with abstract or thematic designs risked erasing the “rich, complex story” of the country’s evolution. (Related: ‘Woke’ journalism kills Sports Illustrated.)

Former Business Secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg also slammed the BoE, branding it the “Bank of Wokeness” and accusing it of seeking to imitate the “unutterable banality of euro notes” by sidelining national heroes in favor of more politically palatable imagery. “It shows a lack of confidence in the nation and a supine kowtowing to the gods of political correctness,” Rees-Mogg said.

On social media, reactions ranged from support to outright hostility. Some users accused the regulator of launching “an assault” on British heritage, while others proposed controversial public figures such as author J.K. Rowling, whose outspoken views on gender identity have made her a lightning rod in ongoing cultural debates.

Visit Wokies.news for more stories like this.

Watch this episode of the “Health Ranger Report” as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, reports on the consequences of the spread of woke ideology and how it could lead to the scrubbing of any cultural memory for White people.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

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Sources include:

RT.com

MSN.com

Brighteon.com