Historical figures such as Turing and Austen replaced on notes after research concludes they are ‘contentious and divisive’ Emma Taggart Economics Reporter. Nick Gutteridge Chief Political Correspondent 05 June 2026 8:00pm BST The Bank of England axed historical figures such as Winston Churchill from banknotes after being told they were “elitist and divisive”, The Telegraph can reveal. Research commissioned by the Bank concluded that figures such as Churchill, Alan Turing and Jane Austen were “contentious and not representative of the UK’s cultural and natural diversity”. Officials were advised to replace portraits with images of nature on banknotes because historical figures represented “a backward-looking vision of … Continue reading Bank dropped Churchill after being told he was ‘elitist’