MUSEUMS WARNED AGAINST REMOVING CONTENTIOUS STATUES

The British government has warned cultural institutions that their public funding could be called into question should they remove statues or other objects that have become the focus of protests or complaints. The issue of how Britain should deal with the legacies of its past, especially its role in slavery and colonialism, has been passionately debated since the statue of a slave trader was toppled in Bristol in June. Since then, officials have removed the statue of another slave trader in London, a concert hall in Bristol has renamed itself, and institutions like Oxford University have grappled with what to do about contested heritage. In a letter sent to the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and other cultural institutions, culture minister Oliver Dowden said the government was against the removal of statues.