The Bank of England has unveiled its shortlist of replacements for Sir Winston Churchill on banknotes – despite the majority of Britons wanting the war hero Prime Minister to stay.
The central bank has today launched a public consultation, presenting a list of native UK animals compiled with the help of wildlife specialists.
Among the creatures vying for a spot on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes are dolphins, foxes, butterflies, owls, bumblebees and sharks.
The shortlisted species have been organised into three distinct categories, encompassing various habitats and animal types.
Participants may choose up to two options from each group.
Submissions will be accepted until July 3, with Governor Andrew Bailey set to make the ultimate selection after reviewing public feedback.
The Bank expects to reveal its decision before the end of the year.
The four chosen creatures must be sufficiently different from one another to ensure each denomination remains easily distinguishable.
This means the animals attracting the most votes may not necessarily end up on the notes, as the Bank must ensure the selected species represent diverse environments across Britain.
From a list of mammals, Britons can choose between the bottlenose dolphin, brown hare, European hedgehog, grey seal, pine marten and red fox.
Possible birds to feature on banknotes include the Atlantic puffin, barn owl, common kingfisher, Eurasian curlew, great spotted woodpecker and white-tailed eagle.
Meanwhile, the amphibians, insects and fish category consists of the Atlantic salmon, basking shark, buff-tailed bumblebee, common frog, emperor dragonfly and marsh fritillary butterfly.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank’s chief cashier, said: “I very much hope the public will enjoy engaging in our consultation to choose the animals to feature on our next series of banknotes.
“The shortlisted animals demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK.”
However, a bombshell survey published in March revealed that many Britons do not share Ms Cleland’s enthusiasm for replacing Sir Winston on banknotes.
The poll conducted by JL Partners found that 48 per cent of respondents want to keep the wartime Prime Minister on the £5 note, compared with just 36 per cent who would prefer an owl in his place.
Backing for Sir Winston to remain on the note crosses party lines, with supporters of all major political parties preferring to keep the Second World War leader on our cash.
The sole exception was Green Party voters who favoured the wildlife alternative, among the surveyed 1,527 people on the proposed changes.
The RSPCA has also intervened in the debate – calling for Sir Winston to be axed in favour of rats.
Geoff Edmond, of the RSPCA, praised the decision to showcase Britain’s native wildlife, saying it is an opportunity to include animals “who don’t always make the ‘most popular’ lists”.
He named pigeons and rats as “overlooked” or “misunderstood” animals, which could be showcased on the banknotes.
