City of London to remove statues of historic slave owners

The City of London has voted to remove two statues from its headquarters because of historic links to slavery.

The City of London Corporation on Thursday said it would remove statues of William Beckford and Sir John Cass from the Guildhall. It has yet to decide what will replace them but said a memorial to the slave trade in the city could be erected in their place.

“The view of 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,” said Catherine McGuinness, the City of London’s policy chair.

William Beckford was twice Lord Mayor of London in the late 1700s. He made his money plantations in Jamaica and held African slaves.

Sir John Cass was a 17th and 18th century merchant, MP and philanthropist who also profited from the slave trade. His statue will be returned to its owner, the Sir John Cass Foundation.

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As with many institutions, the City of London began examining historic links to slavery last year after the murder of George Floyd in the US, which sparked a wave of anger and calls for change under the Black Lives Matter banner.

The corporation set up a Tackling Racism taskforce in June, which recommended removing the statues of Beckford and Cass late last year.

A committee will decide where to place his statue. One idea is for it to be displayed in the Museum of London, where it can be placed in historical context.

“The slave trade is a stain on our history and putting those who profited from it literally on a pedestal is something that has no place in a modern, diverse City,” said Caroline Addy, co-chair of the Tackling Racism taskforce.

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The City of London said it would appoint a dedicated officer responsible for diversity to its highest decision making body as part of efforts to foster inclusion and diversity in the city.

The treatment of monuments with historic links to slavery has become a contested question in Britain over the last 12 months.

Protestors in Bristol pulled down a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colson last June. Home secretary Priti Patel branded the action “utterly disgraceful” and promised to use the full force of the law to go after those responsible. This week, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said laws would be reformed to protect statues from “town hall militants and woke worthies.”

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