Who appears on money has always been a political choice.
A fresh culture war has emerged, not over statues or street names, but over something more ordinary and every day, banknotes. As the Bank of England opens public suggestions for who or what should appear on future currency designs, some right-wing commentators have responded with predictable outrage.
Among them is historian David Abulafia, who, writing in the Telegraph, rails against what he sees as the creeping influence of ‘woke’ values on national symbols.
Abulafia’s piece is laced with sarcasm. He scoffs at the idea that only the dead can be nominated, suggesting this will make it hard to find historical figures who meet today’s standards of equality, diversity, and inclusion. He paints a dystopian picture of minor historical characters, like “the black trumpeter of the Tudor monarchs,” being elevated over so-called ‘real’ historical giants like Benjamin Disraeli. He imagines military scenes ruled out for fear of offending the French, churches sharing space with mosques and temples, and even Hadrian’s Wall being deemed problematic.
Abulafia ends his piece, saying: “Banknotes, for good reason, cannot be changed at a flick of the hand. They are symbols of the safety, stability and security of the monetary system and not propaganda statements about a particular view of British society.”
Dear or dear, the historian’s argument doesn’t really hold up. The idea that current banknotes are apolitical or ideologically “neutral” is nonsense. Who appears on money has always been a political choice. From monarchs to prime ministers to industrialists, British currency has consistently reflected the values and hierarchies of its time, often white, male, and imperial. Updating that symbolism to include a broader range of figures is not about erasing the past, it’s about telling a fuller, more honest story of Britain.
The piece also overlooks the simple fact that representation matters. Symbols in public life, whether on statues, in museums, or on banknotes, help shape how we see ourselves as a nation. They send a message about who belongs, who is valued, and whose contributions are remembered. To suggest that this conversation is merely about “propaganda” is to ignore the power these images hold.
You would think, or hope, an historian would know this.
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