Churchill Replaced by a Hedgehog on UK £5 Note as Bank of England Faces 'Erasing History' Backlash

The Bank of England has selected a European hedgehog, barn owl, buff-tailed bumblebee and Atlantic puffin for its next series of banknotes, ending the use of historical figures including Winston Churchill on the current designs. The decision has drawn criticism from politicians who say removing Britain's wartime prime minister risks diminishing the country's history.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch previously described the move as 'erasing our history,' while Reform UK's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick called it a 'joke.' The Bank has defended the redesign as a way to make future notes more distinctive and introduce new security features to deter counterfeiting.

The four animals will feature across the future £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes, but the Bank has not confirmed which species will appear on each denomination. The European hedgehog is among the selected animals, although it has not been assigned specifically to the £5 note.

Public Consultation Selects Four Animals

The Bank invited the public to choose from a shortlist of 18 animals developed with UK wildlife experts. Nearly 500,000 people responded to the consultation, with the buff-tailed bumblebee receiving 360,399 nominations, the highest total overall.

The barn owl led the bird category with 270,596 nominations, while the European hedgehog topped the mammal category with 259,665. The Atlantic puffin received fewer nominations than the red fox and common kingfisher, but was selected as the most popular marine animal to ensure coastal wildlife was represented.

Victoria Cleland, the Bank's Chief Cashier, welcomed the response, saying it showed that cash continued to matter to the public. The Bank said wildlife imagery offered opportunities to develop recognisable design elements that could also strengthen security against counterfeiting.

The monarch's portrait will remain on the front of every note. The £5 note featuring Churchill, first issued in polymer form in September 2016, is due to be replaced first. The £10 note featuring novelist Jane Austen, the £20 featuring artist JMW Turner and the £50 featuring codebreaker Alan Turing will follow. The new series is expected to take several years to design and introduce.

Politicians Challenge the Removal of Historical Figures

Badenoch has argued that removing Churchill from the notes would erase an important part of British history. Jenrick also criticised the decision, while Free Speech Union founder Lord Toby Young mocked the choice of wildlife imagery in comments reported by national newspapers.

The Bank's position is that the change reflects public consultation and offers practical benefits for banknote security. Historical figures have appeared on its notes since 1970, and the institution says the new series will celebrate the UK's wildlife instead.

Churchill's granddaughter Emma Soames previously told the BBC that she had never expected her grandfather's image to remain on the £5 note indefinitely. Her comments provided a different perspective from the criticism voiced by some politicians.

Cash Remains Important Despite Digital Payments

The redesign comes as cash accounts for a declining share of UK payments. UK Finance reported that fewer than 10 per cent of payments were made using cash in 2024, following the growth of contactless cards and smartphone payments.

However, the Bank says cash remains the preferred payment method for about one in seven people. It argues that banknotes continue to serve an important purpose, even as payment habits change, and says the wildlife designs will combine public preferences with updated security features.