Should UK banknotes keep historical figures rather than switching to wildlife?
Bank of England banknotes currently feature historical figures such as Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing on the reverse alongside the monarch. On 8 October 2026 the Bank announced that the next series will instead use UK wildlife – Atlantic puffin, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and European hedgehog – chosen after a public vote of nearly 500,000 responses. This will be the first time since 1970 that the reverse will not show notable historical figures, while the monarch's portrait will remain.
15 Opinions
How about a mix of both? Wildlife we no longer have or have been reintroduced, our oldest trees, as for people, I'm certain we have more than enough people who have been important to the UK, or to the world.
My understanding is that misleading statements have been made about "public consultation" when it was really just a focus group. I feel that is misinformation. I don't recall any large-scale public campaign, discussion or debate. It suddenly became a done deal. This country has plenty to be proud of. There is no reason to be ashamed or revisionist about it.
Of course. We have a heritage to draw from. Animals is just a fancy way of the further degradation of our identity as British people. Similar to the flags.
Banknotes are not sacrosanct the more ‘sets’ of this and that there are, then more of the money will be kept out of circulation … what could go wrong 🦆
I don't care all that much about it really. But it's clear that The Bank of England picked cute animals just to avoid grown up debates about British history. We should celebrate the minds that built modern computing, literature, and democracy, not turn currency into a Beatrix Potter book.
I mean I barely see cash so it hardly matters but historical figures just feels more significant
Or course they should. Our history and heritage is not something to be ashamed of.
Attempts to erase own history are disgusting and dangerous. Common past should be unifying nation and help to build its future. Also avoiding errors form past is much more difficult.
I Voted to change it to wildlife or objects representing the great things we have achieved because y'all can't decide on who's worthy & who's not... Let's see who argues about a hedgehog. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Edited