London Mayor Sadiq Khan is facing criticism for spending millions of taxpayer money on new statues aimed at making London’s public spaces more diverse.
The project started after the Black Lives Matter protests, during which a statue of slave owner Edward Colston was torn down in Bristol. Khan said the goal was to increase the representation of ethnic minorities in public memorials.
However, a Freedom of Information request by The Spectator revealed that the project has cost £2,138,888 so far, including £1,156,417 given as grants for community projects.
The Untold Stories fund has supported 398 new public art pieces, including 159 plaques, QR codes, and information boards. Some of these honor anti-slavery activists and LGBTQIA+ history.
Elliot Keck from the Taxpayers’ Alliance criticized the spending, stating that Londoners are tired of taxpayer money being used for what he called “woke waste.” He argued that instead of focusing on statues, the Mayor should address serious issues like knife crime in London.
In 2021, Members of Parliament debated the statue project, with some accusing Khan of using it to distract from his shortcomings as Mayor. Gareth Bacon MP called for the project to be stopped, labeling it as “virtue-signaling” and questioning why it was not mentioned in Khan’s previous plans for the city.
Bacon argued that the project was a reaction to the BLM protests and accused Khan of trying to change the country’s history for political gain.
