Almost 50 per cent of Britons feel it is harder to share their honest thoughts on controversial topics such as immigration or transgender rights now than it was five years ago.
A leading figure in a campaign to topple Britain s statues is a hard-left fanatic who previously expressed scepticism around the Pfizer vaccine, his social media posts have revealed.
Toyin Agbetu, 53, joined Sadiq Khan s new diversity commission this week to help investigate whether to remove statues and road names of prominent historical figures connected to the slave trade.
Mr Agbetu was previously known for his 2007 outburst in front of the Queen in 2007, when he shouted you should be ashamed during a service at Westminster Abbey.
In November he posted online expressing scepticism about the Pfizer jab s ability to deal with the spread of coronavirus. He wrote: We are being encouraged to relax our compliance with these relaxed restrictions because apparently a magical vaccine is around the corner from the Viagra specialists.
Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Sadiq Khan of overseeing loony left-wing wheezes today after the London mayor unveiled a new body that could remove statues and alter street names in the capital that are deemed offensive
The Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm was announced today and will include art historian Aindrea Emelife and chairman of City Sikhs Jasvir Singh among 15 panellists.
The homepage of the commission notes that London s statues, plaques and street names largely reflect a bygone era and it seeks to improve diversity in public spaces.
It prompted a colourful response from patrician Mr Rees-Mogg, who branded the mayor Red Khan .
The Government could intervene to stop the City of London Corporation s plans to topple statues of prominent figures William Beckford and Sir John Cass - after it went against its policy to retain historical monuments.
Yesterday the corporation declared it would remove the two huge sculptures over the two men s historic links to the slave trade following a vote on recommendations from their Tackling Racism Taskforce.
But the announcement came to a surprise to senior Government figures, including Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, who believe statues should be kept to learn from the past . MailOnline understands he has contacted heritage body Historic England to check if the correct procedures have been followed so far.
Statues of prominent City of London figures William Beckford and Sir John Cass are to be pulled down over their connections to the slave trade following this summer s BLM movement