Campaign for historic BME figure to appear on new £50 note backed by 200 public figures

Bank of England governor Mark Carney will announce final choice for note in 2019

More than 200 people including cultural leaders and politicians have added their voices to a campaign to put a historic figure from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background on the new £50 note.

The Bank of England in November appealed for public nominations for the person to appear on the new polymer £50 note, with nominations closing on Friday.

The final choice will be announced by Bank of England governor Mark Carney in 2019.

Mr Carney has already indicated a scientist will be featured on the note.

In a letter to The Sunday Times, the campaign calls on the Bank to “reflect modern multicultural Britain” by putting a person of colour on a note.

The letter is signed by more than 200 people, including Lord Victor Adebowale, comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, Channel 4 News presenter Cathy Newman, and Trevor Sterling, chair of Mary Seacole Trust.

Nominations which have been suggested for the first ethnic minority face on a £50 bank note include Britain’s first Muslim war heroine Noor Inayat Khan or Crimean War nurse Mary Seacole.

The letter says: “Ethnic minority communities represent 14 per cent of the British population.

“We do not lack candidates, and arguably their achievements were the greater for having been made at a time when many careers were effectively closed to them, whether through colonial rules, racism, or the legacy of slavery.

“However, no one from an ethnic minority has yet featured on a banknote.”

The group said putting a person from an ethnic minority background on the new notes would show that their contribution to Britain was “valued and recognised”.

It added: “What better representation of ‘global Britain’ could there be?”

Dr Wanda Wyporska, executive director of the Equality Trust, said: “It’s time our black heroes and heroines were recognised for their contributions to our society.

“Now more than ever, we need to celebrate the rich diversity of UK society: representation on bank notes is a great way to do this.”

Press Association