World War II leader Winston Churchill is to be dropped from the UK £5 banknote in favour of a nature scene, sparking outrage from some lawmakers who said he should not be replaced by an otter or badger.
Novelist Jane Austen, artist J. M. W. Turner and mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing, are also due to be phased out on the £10, £20 and £50 banknotes respectively as part of a redesign.
The next series of banknotes due to be issued by the Bank of England will feature animals native to the UK, in a shift away from images of prominent Britons.
Possibilities, subject to a public consultation, include badgers and otters as well as frogs, hedgehogs, barn owls and newts. Plants and landscapes will complete the scenes depicted.
“For more than 50 years, the bank has proudly showcased many inspirational historical figures who have helped shape national thought, innovation, leadership and values on its banknotes,” the bank said.
“The change to wildlife imagery … provides an opportunity to celebrate another important aspect of the UK,” it added.
