It later came to light that was the result of pressure from the government. Various cabinet ministers were quick to leap to the defence of monuments to slavers. When Colston’s statue fell, home secretary Priti Patel denounced the action as “utterly disgraceful” while Boris Johnson argued Black Lives Matter had been “subverted by thuggery”.
In July it was revealed that culture secretary Oliver Dowden had been in contact with the Museum of the Home to demand Geffrye’s statue stayed up irrespective of the will of the public, bolstering his argument with the barely hidden threat that the museum was “a government-funded organisation”.
Readers letters
A computer-generated image of the proposed MSG Sphere in Stratford
- Credit: MSG
Still time to comment on Sphere
Ian Sinclair, McGrath Road, Stratford, writes:
As the legendary Labour MP Tony Benn was fond of saying: “The ruling classes always control us. The first way is to frighten us, the second way is to divide us, the third way is to demoralize us. And the fourth way is to make us cynical.”
It is certainly easy to feel demoralised, especially when it comes to opposing the proposed Madison Square Garden Sphere in Stratford.
However, it’s important to realise the opposition to the corporate development has lots of support. For example, London Assembly member for City and East Unmesh Desai recently wrote to the London Legacy Development Corporation making a “strong, formal objection” to the Sphere.
The LGBCE previously held two public consultations, the latest of which recently resulted in the publication of their new draft recommendations.
Their previous proposals for Upminster and Cranham wards included reducing Upminster ward from three to two councillors and moving part of the Corbets Tey area into Rainham and Wennington ward. They also proposed moving the Dury Falls Estate from Cranham ward into Emerson Park.
However, following a detailed submission from the Upminster and Cranham Residents’ Association (UCRA), together with comments from many local residents, the new Boundary Commission recommendations have reinstated three councillors to Upminster ward and moved both Corbets Tey and the Dury Falls Estate back into