In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests over the weekend of 6/7 June, many institutions and local authorities are seeking to change the way British history is presented in our public spaces.

I call for an immediate halt to he wholesale removal of statues, and renaming of public buildings and places.

Our history is filled with flawed characters and littered with unpalatable acts and policies which would not be tolerated in todays society, However these individuals and their actions are part of our history and our history is what has formed our society and it should be what informs us today. To deny that history and attempt to wipe it out is an act of vandalism and folly.

Whilst Edward Colston is grabbing headlines because of the criminal actions of a small group of people in Bristol, there are many examples of high profile historical figures who are suddenly to be regarded as villains and have their legacy removed.

Among the proposed victims of this insanity are William Gladstone, former British Prime Minister, SIR Robert Peel, twice Prime Minister and founder of modern British policing, SIR Walter Raleigh, vanquisher of the Spanish armada and SIR Winston Churchill, instrumental in the allied victory over Nazi Germany.

The fact is that until quite recently our society (along with many others) was institutionally racist, sexist, elitist and xenophobic. That does not mean that everything it achieved is worthless by todays standards and the same has to be said of the people who led it.  

I don't want these statues and memorials removed, relocated or renamed, they are a part of our history, discarding them would be an act of vandalism.

Where there are blemishes on the character or records of our historical forebears, let that be made plain in their memorials, but do not cast them aside for political expediency.