Nigel Farage hit out at “woke” plans to replace Winston Churchill on banknotes with British wildlife. The Reform UK leader accused the Bank of England of going “PC mad and loony” over the move.

In a video on X, Mr Farage said: “Our great British banknotes are produced by the Bank of England, and they have on them giant figures like Winston Churchill.ne Austen. In a video on X, Mr Farage said: “Our great British banknotes are produced by the Bank of England and they have on them giant figures like Winston Churchill.

“And yet they’re proposing we replace people like him with a picture of a beaver. No I’m not making it up, this is what they are actually proposing.

“This is how PC mad and loony everyone has gone, including the Bank of England. I think it’s absolutely crackers.”

Mr Farage added: “This is the definition of woke.”

The move follows a consultation in which the UK wildlife theme received the highest proportion of nominations.

A second consultation will be run this summer to gather views on the specific wildlife the public would like to feature.

Victoria Cleland, chief cashier at the Bank of England, said: “The key driver for introducing a new banknote series is always to increase counterfeit resilience, but it also provides an opportunity to celebrate different aspects of the UK.

“Nature is a great choice from a banknote authentication perspective and means we can showcase the UK’s rich and varied wildlife on the next series of banknotes.

“I look forward to hearing about the public’s favourite wildlife during our forthcoming summer consultation.”

It will be several years before the banknotes are issued and they will continue to show a portrait of the monarch.