Jacob Rees-Mogg attacks Sadiq Khan for 'loony left-wing wheezes' over commission for diversity that could alter street names and remove statues
- Statues of William Beckford and John Cass to be removed due to slave trade links
- Councillors are set to discuss the statue proposals in a private meeting today
- But Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has written letter to senior officials
- Said it is 'City's own interests that heritage and tradition given robust protection'Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Sadiq Khan of overseeing 'loony left-wing wheezes' today after the London mayor unveiled a new body that could remove statues and alter street names in the capital that are deemed offensive
The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm was announced today and will include art historian Aindrea Emelife and chairman of City Sikhs Jasvir Singh among 15 panellists.
The homepage of the commission notes that London's statues, plaques and street names 'largely reflect a bygone era' and it seeks to improve diversity in public spaces.It prompted a colourful response from patrician Mr Rees-Mogg, who branded the mayor 'Red Khan'.
The Commons Leader said councils should be responsible for naming streets, with the MP for North East Somerset advising Sadiq Khan to not 'interfere in things that aren't his responsibility'.
'Who would have thought that you'd have a more left-wing leader of London than Ken Livingstone? And now we do, and Red Khan is he,' Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons.
'It is quite wrong that these loony left-wing wheezes should be inflicted upon our great metropolis, and I think the mayor in his zeal is potentially treading on the toes of councils anyway - that councils have the right to name streets, by and large, not the Mayor of London, and I don't think he should interfere in things that aren't his responsibility.
'As I was saying on the honours list, we should celebrate and glory in our wonderful history and in the great heroes of our nation going back over centuries.'
It came as Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the City of London risks damaging its 'rich history' if it goes through with a BLM-inspired bid to topple two statues.
The City of London Corporation last month declared it would remove two huge artworks depicting ex-Lord Mayor William Beckford and philanthropist MP Sir John Cass from its Guildhall headquarters over their historic links to the slave trade.
Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Sadiq Khan of overseeing 'loony left-wing wheezes' today after the London mayor unveiled a new body that could alter street names in the capital
Sadiq Khan's Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm was announced today and will include art historian Aindrea Emelife (above right) and chairman of City Sikhs Jasvir Singh (lefthand picture, far right) among 15 panellists.
The City of London Corporation last month declared it would remove two huge sculptures depicting ex-Lord Mayor William Beckford (right) and philanthropist MP Sir John Cass (left) over their historic links to the slave trade.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick (pictured) said the City of London risks damaging its 'rich history' if it goes through with a BLM-inspired bid to topple the two statues
Councillors are set to discuss the proposals - laid out in a report by its Tackling Racism Taskforce - in a private meeting today. The statues are located in its Guildhall headquarters (pictured)
'London is one of the most richly diverse cities in the world, yet our public spaces don't fully represent who we are and the values of tolerance and inclusion that lie at the heart of our city.
'By bringing together a range of people, through an open selection process, with proven leadership ability, expertise and influence, the commission will work with councils and partners to ensure we tell the full story of our capital.
'It's a great pity that the minister seems to have no interest in that diverse history being told.'
The Prime Minister's press secretary, Allegra Stratton, defended Mr Rees-Mogg's use of the word 'loony'.
Asked about the remarks during a Westminster briefing, she said: 'I don't think it is as bad as some of the language I have seen and heard.'
She said she would not be 'particularly upset' if such a term was used against her, when it was put to her that the term derives from the term 'lunatic'.
Councillors in the City are set to discuss the statue proposals - laid out in a report by its Tackling Racism Taskforce - in a private meeting today.
But Mr Jenrick is understood to have written to senior officials, including the Lord Mayor William Russell, urging them to leave the statue where it is.
He said it is in the 'City's own interests that heritage and tradition are given robust protection' in a letter seen by The Daily Telegraph.
He stressed that while 'history is ridden with moral complexity', ministers want local authorities to 'retain and explain - not remove - our heritage'.
Mr Jenrick pointed out that the plans for a new law on cultural and historic heritage were already in motion which would give the the Secretary extra powers to block statue removals.
It means that if any council intends to grant permission for removal of a particular statue but Historic England objects to it, he gets the final say.
In January, the Communities Secretary pointed out that the plan would stop statues being removed by the 'decree of a cultural committee of town hall militants and woke worthies'.
But even with the proposed law change, The City of London Corporation's Policy and Resources Committee announced it had voted to remove the statues of Mr Beckford and Sir John from their historic Guildhall headquarters.
The statue of William Beckford - a two-time Lord Mayor of London in the late 1700s who accrued wealth from plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves - will be removed, re-sited and replaced with a new artwork.
Meanwhile, the likeness of Sir John Cass - a 17th and 18th century merchant, MP and philanthropist who also profited from the slave trade - will be returned to its owner, the Sir John Cass Foundation.
Responding to Mr Jenrick's letter, the council insisted removing them was the 'correct' thing to do and all planning permission procedures - and Government guidelines - will be followed.
A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: 'We wrote to the Secretary of State last month outlining the reasons behind our decision and the proposed next steps.
'The Policy and Resources Committee has agreed what we think is the correct response to a sensitive issue.
'The view of elected members was that removing and re-siting statues linked to slavery is an important milestone in our journey towards a more inclusive and diverse City.
'A working group will now consider the steps required to remove the statues and look at options for where they could be re-sited, with historical context, on public display.'As Guildhall is a Grade I-listed building, we will need to seek planning permissions and we will of course comply with any new legislation which might be brought in.'
The BLM movement was sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the US where he was arrested by police.
Protesters tore down a statue of Edward Colston on Sunday, June 7, on the same day a memorial to Winston Churchill in London was defaced with the words 'was a racist' written on a plinth underneath.
It prompted a wave of statues being targeted with graffiti or being attacked during protests, culminating in some statues, including ones of Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill, being covered up to be protected from vandals.
The Topple the Racists campaign launched a comprehensive list of statues it wanted to see removed as it believed the names behind the monuments held racist beliefs.
The list - compiled by the Stop Trump Coalition - pinpoints the locations of 125 under-fire landmarks featured on a map.
The website lists the Beckford Statue on it's map, with a caption reading: 'Inherited sole interest in 13 sugar plantations in Jamaica and owned approximately 3,000 enslaved Africans.
'Served in Jamaican National Assembly before returning to England in 1744.'
Outrage over statues led to Oriel College at Oxford University voting to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes, a colonialist politician in southern Africa in the 19th century.
Boris Johnson wrote last year: 'We cannot now try to edit or censor our past. We cannot pretend to have a different history. The statues in our cities and towns were put up by previous generations.
'They had different perspectives, different understandings of right and wrong. But those statues teach us about our past, with all its faults.
'To tear them down would be to lie about our history, and impoverish the education of generations to come.'
They are among 125 under-fire landmarks featured on a map by Topple The Racists, a website pinpointing their locations
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said in a statement: 'The mayor makes absolutely no apology for creating a commission to help ensure everyone can take pride in our city's public landscape.
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