This weekend we saw anti-racist protestors remove a statue glorifying a slave trader, Edward Colston, in Bristol. The same trader's name features on buildings across the city, along with street names such as 'Whiteladies Road' and 'Blackboy Hill', the latter a site where slaves were auctioned. The glorification of slavery in this manner is replicated in other cities across the UK, causing hurt, offense and community tensions. It is time to take down any and all tributes to slave traders and to replace building and street names with ones which recognise and celebrate the contribution of black people to this country.

We call on the government to instruct city councils to take the above action as a matter of urgency.