Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Statues of William Beckford, Sir John Cass to be removed

Statues of William Beckford, Sir John Cass to be removed

THE City of London Corporation’s Policy and Resources Committee has voted to move statues of William Beckford and Sir John Cass which currently stand in its 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 statue 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.

City of London Corporation Policy Chair Catherine McGuinness said: “This decision is the culmination of months of valuable work by the Tackling Racism Taskforce, which has taken a comprehensive approach to addressing injustice and inequality. 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.”

The City Corporation will set up a working group to oversee the removal of the statues and the works that could replace them, and will also consider commissioning a new memorial to the slave trade in the City.

The move had been recommended by the City Corporation’s Tackling Racism Taskforce, and will be accompanied by measures aimed at boosting diversity in staffing, governance, education, business and policing.

The Taskforce was set up in June in the wake of the Black Lives Matters protests.

City of London Corporation Tackling Racism Taskforce co-chair Caroline Addy said: "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.”

Last year, the City Corporation held a consultative exercise asking people for their views on statues and other landmarks in the Square Mile linked to slavery, which garnered more than 1,500 responses.

The Policy and Resources Committee also approved measures aimed at improving diversity in the Court of Common Council – its primary decision-making body – including appointing a dedicated officer responsible for member diversity.

Recommendations by theTaskforce to boost diversity among staff by introducing anonymised recruitment for all pay grades, extra training and a ‘reverse mentoring’ scheme have already been approved, a statement said.

City of London Corporation Tackling Racism Taskforce co-chair Andrien Meyers said: “I’m really proud of the wide-ranging work the Taskforce has carried out to promote inclusion in the City Corporation, our schools and institutions and the City as a whole, which support our commitment to ensuring the Square Mile is a place where people of all ethnicities and backgrounds feel safe and welcome.”

More For You

Birmingham-stabbing

A 16-year-old boy was stabbed on Saturday afternoon in Bordesley Green. (Photo: X/@MarioNawfal)

Stabbings on the rise as Birmingham residents protest attack on teen

A RISE in stabbing incidents across the country has raised concerns, with another attack in Birmingham prompting a protest by local residents.

A 16-year-old boy was stabbed on Saturday afternoon in Bordesley Green. West Midlands Police said he was attacked at about 15:30 GMT and was taken to hospital with serious injuries. He is now in stable condition.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian court sentences man to life for rape, murder of Irish woman
McLaughlin, 28, from County Donegal, was found dead in a field in Goa in March 2017. (Photo credit: Twitter)

Indian court sentences man to life for rape, murder of Irish woman

A COURT in India’s Goa state has sentenced a 31-year-old man to life in prison for the rape and murder of an Irish woman in 2017. The verdict was delivered on Monday, nearly eight years after the crime.

The body of 28-year-old Danielle McLaughlin was found in March 2017 on a beach popular with tourists. An autopsy confirmed that cerebral damage and constriction of the neck caused her death.

Keep ReadingShow less
Michael O’Sullivan

Over his career, Michael O’Sullivan rode 95 winners in Ireland and Britain, including 14 in Ireland and two in Britain this season. (Photo: X/@irishracing)

Irish jockey Michael O’Sullivan dies after fall at Thurles

IRISH jockey Michael O’Sullivan has died after sustaining injuries in a fall at Thurles, Ireland, on 6 February. The 24-year-old had been in an induced coma in intensive care at Cork University Hospital since the incident.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s (IHRB) chief medical officer, Dr Jennifer Pugh, confirmed his passing early Sunday morning, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rizwana Bokhari

Rizwana Bokhari passed away on 10 February 2025, at the age of 73.

Hundreds attend funeral of Rizwana Bokhari in London

OVER 700 people attended the funeral of Rizwana Bokhari at Balham Mosque, the oldest mosque in South London, on Friday, 14 February.

Mourners included faith leaders from across the UK, international guests from America and Asia, and political figures.

Keep ReadingShow less
new-delhi-railway-station-reuters

People, including pilgrims on their way to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela, gather at the New Delhi Railway Station to board a train on February 15. (Photo: Reuters)

18 killed in stampede at railway station in Delhi

AT LEAST 18 people died in a stampede at a railway station in Delhi late on Saturday as large crowds rushed to board trains heading to the Maha Kumbh Mela, officials and reports said.

The Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years in Prayagraj, attracts tens of millions of Hindu devotees and has seen several crowd-related incidents. Last month, at least 30 people died in a stampede at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

Keep ReadingShow less