SEVERAL TOP BRITISH politicians are upset that historical figures will be replaced by images of the UK’s wildlife on the next series of Bank of England banknotes.

The central bank’s move marks a shift after more than 50 years of showcasing people from Britain’s history on the notes, including William Churchill, Alan Turing and Jane Austen.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who has described herself as a “huge fan” of Churchill, said the move is erasing British history.

The Bank said the change to wildlife imagery creates an opportunity to celebrate another important aspect of the nation. It is also said to make it more difficult for the notes to be counterfeited while making security features more distinguishable.

The move follows a consultation in which the UK wildlife theme received the highest proportion of nominations, at 60%.

Badenoch said that instead of removing history figures from the banknotes they should add more, specifically, Margaret Thatcher.

“I think that removing Churchill from banknotes is erasing our history,” she said.

“This is not a problem at all. It’s not something that needs to be solved.

“If anything, I think that they should be putting more historical figures on banknotes. I would quite like to see Margaret Thatcher on a banknote. I think she was Britain’s greatest peacetime prime minister.”

“Changing the pictures to put wild animals on them is a silly thing to do. I absolutely do not support it.”

Winston Churchill helped defeat fascism in Europe. He deserves better than being replaced by a badger 🦡 pic.twitter.com/D0ryOQYSTu

— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) March 11, 2026

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey also took umbrage with the move.

“Winston Churchill helped defeat fascism in Europe. He deserves better than being replaced by a badger,” he said on X.

The Conservatives criticised the decision to remove historical figures from banknotes, saying this was down to them being considered divisive characters.

MP Alex Burghart said: “It is deeply depressing that under Labour our national heroes are considered too ‘divisive’ to be on the banknotes.

“Most countries celebrate their history – ours should too.”

But not everyone is annoyed about the move. Wildlife television presenter and author Nadeem Perera said it feels “overdue”.

“The wildlife of the UK is not separate from our culture. It sits in our football crests, our folklore, our coastlines and our childhoods,” he said.

It will be several years before the banknotes are issued and they will continue to show a portrait of the monarch.

A second consultation will be run this summer to gather views on the specific wildlife the public would like to feature, which can include plants, landscapes and animals.

With additional reporting from PA.