Britain, new laws to protect historic monuments. We must not censor the past

The British government has announced new laws to protect the country’s historic monuments. According to this bill, statues that are part of historical and cultural heritage, listed in a list, will have to be preserved and explained to future generations. Anyone who wants to thus remove any historical monument will have to apply for permission. If the council intends to grant permission for the removal of a particular statue, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government will have to be notified to make the final decision on it.

The new laws are intended to protect twenty thousand statues and monuments throughout England, including many monuments that are not on the Heritage List but are of public interest and have special significance to local communities, so it is only right that these should also be protected.

Current Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Robert Jenrick said, "For centuries statues and public monuments have been erected to celebrate individuals and great episodes in the country’s history. They reflect the tastes of the population over time, not a single, official story. They are enormously varied, some beloved, some reviled, but they are all part of the fabric of our extraordinarily rich history and context. We cannot, and should not, now try to change or censor our past. That’s why I’m changing the law that protects historic monuments; let’s not repeat the mistakes of previous generations by losing our heritage of the past without proper care."

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Oliver Dowden added, "I strongly believe that we should learn from our past, to preserve and explain our history. The decisions we make now will shape the environment that will be inherited by our children and grandchildren. It is our duty to preserve culture and heritage for future generations, and these new laws will help us do that."

Pictured is the Edward Colston monument thrown into the waters of Bristol Harbor last June.

Britain, new laws to protect historic monuments. We must not censor the past

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