Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

New £50 note could feature Muslim war heroine

The new £50 note could become the first to feature someone from an ethnic minority.

Campaigners are backing Noor Inayat Khan, a British Muslim Second World War heroine, to be the face of £50 note, which will be reissued in plastic from 2020.


The campaign, started by activist Zehra Zaidi, has the backing of  historian and BBC presenter Dan Snow, Tom Tugendhat MP and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi among others.

Pushing for Khan to be the face of the new £50 note, Zaidi told The Telegraph that “Noor Inayat Khan was an inspirational and complex woman who was a Brit, a soldier, a writer, a Muslim, an Indian independence supporter, a Sufi, a fighter against fascism and a heroine to all. She navigated complex identities and has so much resonance in the world we live in today.”

Although Khan began her career as a children’s writer living in Paris, her life took a turn after she fled the country to Britain following the fall of France. Following her training for the Women’s Auxiliary Airforce, Khan was recruited as a secret agent for the Special Operations Executive.

At the age of 29, Khan, born to an American mother and a father of Indian royal descent, became the first female radio operator sent into Nazi-occupied France in 1943. She ran the Prosper network of resistance communications in Paris, which was commissioned by Winston Churchill to "set Europe ablaze".

Her life as a spy did not last long. Khan was shot and killed by the SS at Dachau concentration camp after being betrayed by a French woman. She suffered 10 months of starvation and torture at the hands of the Gestapo and for her bravery she was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1949.

Supporting the campaign, minister Nusrat Ghani tweeted: "Let’s get #NoorInayatKhan on £50 note. First female radio operator in occupied France, betrayed to the Nazis and endured interrogation & torture."

Baroness Warsi told The Telegraph: “Often what's been spoken about is the forgotten heroes of the First and Second World Wars, many people from around the world who served in the British Army including the British Indian Army, as both my grandfathers did."

Britain seems to be fractured along the lines of racial differences, but Khan is "someone who symbolises everything great about Britain - a young Muslim woman who gave up her life for her country," said Baroness Warsi.

"What could be better than putting a woman of colour who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, who gave up her life for our nation, on the £50 note?"

Tom Tugendhat MP described Khan as a national hero and said, "She must be pretty unusual if not absolutely unique - it's nothing to do with her race, religion or sex - this is a woman who had everything, who came from a life of great privilege.

"Her heritage would have made it very easy for her not to step up to the call of duty. She could have lived a very comfortable life, but put everything on the line before being murdered in Dachau.”

More For You

Southport

Floral tributes left by members of the public are seen following the fatal knife attack on three young girls in July in Southport.

Reuters

Public inquiry begins into Southport girls' murders

A PUBLIC inquiry begins on Tuesday into the murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport last year.

The inquiry will examine whether the attack could have been prevented and how future incidents might be avoided.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer-Getty

Starmer is facing a Labour backbench revolt over plans to reform special needs support in schools without guaranteeing existing legal rights. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images)

Starmer faces Labour pushback over SEND reform plans

KEIR STARMER is facing a backlash from Labour MPs over plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, after ministers stopped short of guaranteeing legal rights for parents.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government was committed to reforming the current system, which costs £12 billion a year. However, she did not confirm if legally enforceable rights, such as those provided by education, health and care plans (EHCPs), would remain.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit London

Londoners faced a wet and stormy start to the week

iStock

Heavy rain and thunderstorms hit London before 30°C heatwave

Key points

  • Heavy rain and thunderstorms drench London at the start of the week
  • Temperatures set to rise with highs of 31°C expected by Thursday
  • Heatwave could be declared by Friday if warm conditions persist
  • Night-time temperatures to remain high, increasing discomfort
  • UV and pollen levels forecast to be very high across the south

Thunderstorms soak London before summer heat returns

Londoners faced a wet and stormy start to the week as heavy rain and overnight thunderstorms swept through the capital. Monday morning saw widespread downpours, leaving commuters reaching for umbrellas and Wimbledon ticket hopefuls queuing in ponchos.

The unsettled conditions followed a burst of thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon and continued into the early hours of Monday, prompting caution across the city. The Met Office has not issued a formal weather warning for thunderstorms, but conditions remain unstable.

Keep ReadingShow less
National Trust sets vision to heal
nature and engage more Asians

Lisa Nandy, Steve Reed, René Olivieri and Hilary McGrady at a National Trust event marking its 130th anniversary

National Trust sets vision to heal nature and engage more Asians

THE National Trust, which is seeking to broaden its appeal to British Asians, is marking its 130th anniversary with a renewed commitment to restoring nature and widening access under a 10-year strategy.

Its director-general, Hilary McGrady, also aims to inspire more people to get involved in caring for the country’s natural resources.

Keep ReadingShow less
 7/7 bombings

The King said the public should draw on the 'extraordinary courage and compassion' shown in response to the attacks. (Photo credit: X/@RoyalFamily)

Starmer and King Charles pay tribute on 20th anniversary of 7/7 bombings

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and King Charles on Monday paid tribute to the unity shown in the aftermath of the 7 July bombings in London, as the country marked 20 years since the attacks.

On 7 July 2005, four Islamist extremists carried out suicide bombings at Aldgate Station, Edgware Road, King's Cross and Tavistock Square. The attacks killed 52 people and injured hundreds more.

Keep ReadingShow less