News / Politics
Bristol mayor criticises minister’s statue comments
Criticising comments made by a government minister about protecting statues, Marvin Rees has said it is the responsibility of political leaders not to fuel an adversarial culture.
The mayor was responding to a recent article in The Sunday Telegraph written by communities secretary Robert Jenrick about the introduction of new legal safeguards to prevent historic monuments being removed “on a whim or at the behest of a baying mob”.
Although Colston was not mentioned by name, it inferred to the toppling of the slave trader’s statue during protests in Bristol in June last year.
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Speaking on Wednesday, Rees said Jenrick’s commentary was poor analysis of what’s really going on and “nowhere near the approach we have taken”.
“I think it is a responsibility of political leaders not to use language that sets up that kind of adversarial culture,” said the mayor.
“We get enough of that anyway – we don’t need that kind of social media language.
“Colston’s statue was pulled down in circumstances that I said I could not endorse, but the way we have gone about discussing our history now is the way you would want.
“We pulled together the Bristol history commission, it will be engaging with the city.
“We have a cultural board and will go on a very patient and inclusive conversation with Bristol about who we are.”
Colston’s statue was pulled from its plinth in June 2020 – photo by Martin Booth
Writing about the new safeguards, Jenrick said: “We live in a country that believes in the rule of law, but when it comes to protecting our heritage, due process has been overridden. That can’t be right.
“Local people should have the chance to be consulted whether a monument should stand or not.
“What has stood for generations should be considered thoughtfully, not removed on a whim or at the behest of a baying mob.”
The mayor is one of the speakers taking part in a virtual workshop on The Future of Monumentality on Thursday, January 28.
Four people have been charged with criminal damage after the statue of Colston was toppled from its plinth on June 7 2020 and thrown in the harbour. They will appear in court on Monday.
Main photo by Avon and Somerset Police
Read more: Toppling of Colston prompts government to protect historic monuments
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