Sir Robert Peel statue petition sees councillor comment

A FIERCE debate has erupted after a petition emerged to remove the statue of Sir Robert Peel in Bradford, but a councillor says we need to avoid polarised views to deal with the issue.

Anti-racism protests have been happening across the country over the past week or so, in response to the death of George Floyd in the US.

Two slave trader statues were pulled down in recent days - one depicting Edward Colston was torn down by campaigners at an anti-racism protest in Bristol on Sunday.

The other was taken down with the approval of a local authority following a petition demanding its removal.

In many cities, the focus has shifted to statues celebrating Bury-born politician and two-time Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel.

This has spread to Bradford, with Shumona Hussain starting a petition on change.org to remove the Sir Robert Peel statue in Peel Park, and rename the park itself.

Read more about that here...

A counter-petition was set-up in response and almost 90 per cent of the 1405 people who responded to a T&A poll at the time of writing voted against the proposals.

Read more about that here...

The councillors who represent the Bolton and Undercliffe ward - Councillor Suhail Choudry (Labour), Councillor Rachel Sunderland (Lib Dem and Independent) and Councillor David Ward (Lib Dem and Independent) - had a small meeting yesterday afternoon where the matter was discussed briefly.

Cllr Ward believes we have to avoid polarised views on the issue, but agrees monuments, statues and street names should be reviewed.

He said: “This was part of history, they might have been terrible people – men usually – but it’s all part of history.

“Values change, attitudes change and we do need to look at this.

“But that needs to be a routine and sensible debate."

The scenes in Bristol showed protestors throwing the statue of Edward Colston into the harbour.

It was tense and fired up and Cllr Ward feels any decisions about these kinds of monuments need to be made away from that kind of atmosphere.

He said: "We’re talking about things that have been around for a long, long time.

“I do think it’s part of democracy to say, ‘are some appropriate, should we be thinking about them’.

“But it needs to be done in those terms and not in a rush of blood to the head.”

Sir Robert Peel presents an entirely different level of complexity compared to Edward Colston too.

The second baronet of the Peel family is often confused with his father (the first baronet), who shared the same name as his son.

Sir Robert Peel (the first baronet) benefited from the slave trade and raised a petition in opposition to the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill which he saw as a threat to the cotton industry and merchants’ trade interests.

The second baronet, who is the figure depicted in statues across the country, had no direct link with the slave trade.

But, there is controversy surrounding the issue that the Peels’ wealth and industrial empire was built on the labour of enslaved and oppressed peoples.

Cllr Ward says it would be difficult to find anybody in history who is not "blemished" in some way.

He goes back again to the idea that this has to be democratic and done on a case-by-case basis.

He added: “Who would question bringing down a statue of Jimmy Savile? You wouldn’t.

“But we do need to understand what the prevailing views were at that time, in terms of street names and monuments.

“At the end of the day, it needs to be a democratic decision.”

A similar campaign is underway in Manchester to remove the Sir Robert Peel statue in Piccadily Gardens.

But, it has been met with fury from hundreds of people and a counter-petition has also been started in response.

It highlights the complexity of the situation and how the issue of Sir Robert Peel (second baronet) is polarising opinions.

More controversial statues could be taken down too after a raft of councils vowed to review such monuments.

Labour-led councils across England and Wales have agreed to work with their local communities to look at the "appropriateness" of certain monuments and statues on public land and council property.

A spokesperson for Bradford Council said: "Labour councils nationally, through the Local Government Association, have pledged to review all statues and commemorations in their local area and the Bradford district is part of this commitment.

"We would always consult all residents before any alterations could be made."