Winston Churchill had ‘apparent racist views’, according to Westminster Council statue review – The Telegraph

Sir Winston Churchill's "apparent racist views" put his statue at risk during Black Lives Matter protests, according to a Westminster Council dossier.

Officials drew up a list of more than 50 monuments over fears they could be targeted following the toppling of Edward Colston, with some deemed at high risk due to alleged links to slavery and colonialism.

A statue of Churchill in central London was deemed "vulnerable" in the Westminster Council dossier, due to what the document termed Churchill's "apparent racist views".

The wartime leaders reputation has been publicly reappraised in recent years, with his Chartwell home drawn into a colonialism review by the National Trust, and his monument on Parliament Square daubed with the words "racist" during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020.

Documents reveal that during this period Westminster Council was concerned about which statues could be attacked, and carried out a risk-assessment which included a separate "Allies statue" of Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill sitting together on a bench.

The colour-coded risk-assessment flagged the statue on New Bond Street as having an "amber" or intermediate risk, and the document stated that the monument was "vulnerable due to Churchill's apparent racist views".

Westminster Council has said that this appraisal of Churchill - in a document seen by the Telegraph - is not the view of the local authority but a reflection of protesters' attitudes.

Raj Mistry, Westminster City Councils executive director of environment, said: "This document was compiled in the summer of 2020 during national debate on public statues.

"As responsible custodians of our city it is right that the council prepares for a variety of circumstances.

"The list assesses the likelihood of public monuments maintained by the council potentially being targeted. No action was taken as a result."

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Winston Churchill had 'apparent racist views', according to Westminster Council statue review - The Telegraph