close
close

The report warns that there is a growing trend of changing British history without “due process”.

History is being changed by tearing down statues, renaming streets and changing curricula without “a rigorous and impartial approach,” a new report says.

An article written by broadcaster Trevor Phillips and published Monday by think tank Policy Exchange said there was a “growing trend to alter public history and heritage without due process.”

And it argues that decision-makers should not give too much say to interest groups and activists, but instead argue that institutions must “give due consideration to the views and feelings of those who support the institutions, including donors, members, volunteers and taxpayers.” and alumni in the case of schools and universities.

Police surround the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA archive)

Police surround the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA archive)

A senior government source called Mr Phillips' report “an important and thoughtful contribution to the debate about our shared history, which we will examine closely”.

They added: “Too many institutions rush to please a vocal minority when it comes to changing history.”

“Instead, they should follow due process and the law and pay attention to the concerns of the majority, including museum visitors, taxpayers and other key stakeholders.”

The report, submitted to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “Decisions about change should not be unduly influenced by potentially temporary shifts in public opinion or taste.”

And that “overwhelming support” for change should be demonstrable, be it changing a school motto or removing a public statue.

The report recommended that it should be clear who makes decisions about “reinterpreting the past” and that any changes must be lawful.

And it also warned: “Public institutions may ultimately be held accountable by the responsible foreign minister.”

Conservative Party leader Oliver Dowden (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Wire)Conservative Party leader Oliver Dowden (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Wire)

Conservative Party leader Oliver Dowden (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Wire)

This comes after Conservative Party leader Oliver Dowden warned government-funded organizations that “they risk going bust if they get too woke”.

At a Conservative Party conference fringe event in early October, he was challenged by an activist over his culture war and “anti-woke rhetoric”, but Mr Dowden insisted his interventions were not “reactionary”.

Mr Dowden warned that some cultural organizations were “overreacting to this loud and aggressive brigade of activists” who criticized aspects of British history.

Three museum chiefs also supported the paper, including Nicholas Coleridge, chairman of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Sir Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum, and Dr. Samir Shah, Chairman of the Museum of the Home.

Mr Coleridge said the recommendations were “practical, rigorous and, above all, sensible”.

He said: “I am sure that any board or institution would do well to study them carefully rather than making a drastically hasty, biased and wrong decision.”

Sir Ian added it was a “very sensible guide to change that is thoughtful and sustainable, rather than fear and panic”.

Read more

Ministers are under fire after only 20 visas were issued to foreign truck drivers

Toy stores advise 'buy now' this Christmas as ports play down supply concerns

Sorry seems to be the hardest word: The value of doubt in leadership