Historical Figures Erased
Paintings of Lord Nelson have been removed from Parliament in a woke purge of historical figures. Two portraits of the British naval hero, including one showing his death at Trafalgar, have been taken down after a review into links to slavery.
New Portraits of Labour Figures
While national heroes are being erased, new portraits of Labour figures — including Home Secretary Yvette Cooper — have been put up in their place. She has previously made the case for boosting the representation of women and minorities in the Parliamentary Art Collection as part of a Labour mission to "modernise" Westminster.
Controversial Removals
English explorer Sir Francis Drake has also been cancelled, and four images of Oliver Cromwell taken down after MPs branded them supporters of the slave trade. Four paintings of Elizabeth I have been removed, including ones marking the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and a print of anti-slavery leader William Wilberforce has been removed.
Changes in Downing Street
PM Sir Keir Starmer reportedly ditched portraits of PMs Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, along with playwright William Shakespeare from Downing Street. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has also swapped images of ex-PMs in No11 for art commemorating lockdown.
Parliament's Response
A Parliament spokesman said: "There are more than 26,000 items within Parliament’s collections, and there are regular movements, for example, due to maintenance works in an area, changes to the occupancy of offices or in spaces and conservation needs."
