Churchill statue was put on council’s ‘at risk’ list

WINSTON CHURCHILL’S “apparent racist views” put his statue at risk during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, according to a Westminster council dossier.

Officials drew up a list of more than 50 monuments over fears they could be targeted following the toppling of a statue of Edward Colston, with some deemed at high risk owing to alleged links to slavery and colonialism.

A statue of Churchill in central London was deemed “vulnerable” in the dossier, due to the wartime leader’s “apparent racist views”.

Westminster council said this appraisal of Churchill is not the view of the local authority but a reflection of protestors’ attitudes, and “no action was taken as a result” of its assessment of the likelihood of public monuments potentially being targeted.

The council has said it has no plans to remove or modify any monuments in the city which were flagged as at risk.