BLM: Sadiq Khan calls for removal of slave trader statues - Daily Mail

Black Lives Matter supporters compile a hit list of 60 UK 'racist statues' they want pulling down as Sadiq Khan calls for ALL London's slave trader landmarks to be removed

• 'Topple the racists' website maps around 60 statues that must go for 'celebrating slavery and racism' 
• BLM activists to gather at Cecil Rhodes' statue in Oxford at 5pm as part of 'Rhodes you're next' campaign
• Oxford City Council has invited Oriel College to apply for planning permission to remove the statue
• Sadiq Khan will 'review and improve' London diversity of statues and says he hopes slave traders are removed
• London Mayor said capital's landmarks largely Victorian - and should include more 'people of colour'

By Jack Wright and Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 11:16 BST, 9 June 2020 | Updated: 14:59 BST, 9 June 2020

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Black Lives Matter supporters have identified 60 UK statues they want removed for 'celebrating slavery and racism' after the Bristol monument to Edward Colston was destroyed, it was revealed today.

Some of Briton's most famous people are on the hit list including imperialist Cecil Rhodes and slave traders Sir John Cass, William Beckford, Robert Milligan, Sir Thomas Guy with activists demanding they are all 'removed so that Britain can finally face the truth about its past'.

The interactive map, called 'topple the racists', was set up by the Stop Trump Coalition in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the topplers of Edward Colston, and lists 60 statues, plaques and monuments in more than 30 towns and cities across the UK.

The online list can be added to by the public and well-known names include King James II, King Charles II, Oliver Cromwell, Horatio Nelson, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Robert Peel and Lord Kitchener.

Activists will today set their sights on the monument to British imperialist Cecil Rhodes in Oxford, where thousands started to gather ahead of a 5pm rally holding placards reading: 'Rhodes you're next' and 'Rhodes must fall'.

Today Oxford City Council's leader Susan Brown wrote to Oriel College inviting them to apply for planning permission to remove the statue, after 26 councillors signed a letter saying it is 'incompatible' with the city's 'commitment to anti-racism'.

Sadiq Khan today called for the removal of all slave trader statues in the capital as he promised to personally 'review and improve' the diversity of the capital's landmarks. The Mayor of London has launched his own Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm after Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the monument to Edward Colston in Bristol and hurled it in the city's harbour.

Mayor Khan today said he wouldn't 'pre-empt' the commission's findings on the suitability of London's street names, murals, statues and memorials, but admitted he would like any statues of slave traders removed in London and to build more 'people of colour, black people, women, those from the LGBT community'. 

But he said he did not think statues such as of Sir Winston Churchill's in Parliament Square should be included in the review it was tagged with 'racist' on Sunday. He said Londoners needed to be educated about famous figures 'warts and all' and that 'nobody was perfect', including the likes of Churchill, Gandhi and Malcolm X.   

As the row over Britain's statues continues today, it has also emerged:   

• Home Secretary Priti Patel has read the riot act to the chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police whose officers failed to stop protesters ripping down a slave trader's statue and dumping it in Bristol harbour; 
• Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said the Government is 'looking very carefully' at sentences for assaults on emergency workers in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. 
• Cecil Rhodes' statue in Oxford is under threat as 26 labour councillors call for its removal ahead of 5pm protest;  
• Edinburgh council will review statue of politician who 'delayed abolition of slavery' after BLM complaints and Barclays has also changed the name of its 'Buchanan' Glasgow development because its links to slavery;  

Members of the Oxford anti-fascists were outside Oriel College to demand the statue of Cecil Rhodes is removed ahead of a Black Lives Matter protest in the city this evening

26 Oxford City councillors signed a letter saying Rhodes' statue in Oxford (pictured) should go because it is 'incompatible' with the city's 'commitment to anti-racism'

A website set up by BLM supporters called 'Topple the Racists' website mapping 60 statues and monuments organisers claim 'celebrate slavery and racism' and should be removed

Mr Khan (pictured on GMB) said he 'hopes' the new Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will recommend some memorials in the capital should be removed - but declared he would like any ones of slave traders taken down

Statues of Robert Milligan (right) and William Beckford (left) are likely to be targeted. Milligan was an 18th century Scottish merchant who owned 526 slaves at his Jamaican sugar plantation. Beckford was twice Lord Mayor of London and owned 3,000 slaves in Jamaica

Statues of Thomas Guy (left) and John Cass (right) are also likely to be targeted for removal.  Cass was involved in the slave trade, as a member of the Royal African Company's Court of Assistants between 1705 and 1708.  Guy was given a monopoly over the slave trade to the Spanish Colonies in the Americas before the 'South Sea Bubble' burst

Who are the men behind the statues BLM activists want to tear down

Cecil Rhodes

Where is his statue?

A 4ft statue of Rhodes stands outside Oriel College at Oxford university

Who was he?

Cecil Rhodes (1853 - 1902) was the Former Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, the modern day South Africa. He was a British supremacist, imperialist, mining magnate, and politician in southern Africa who drove the annexation of vast swathes of Africa.

What did he do?

The bad

• Colonised much of Southern Africa for Victorian Britain and established a vast new British territory in Rhodesia, today's Zimbabwe and Zambia

• Rhodes believed that the British were 'the first race in the world, and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race'

• He secured control of Rhodesia by swindling the king of Matabeleland, and showed scant regard for his African employees, whom he dismissed as 'n***ers'

• Founded De Beers mining company, trading diamonds mined with slave labour

The good

• Established Rhodes Scholarships, which paid for brilliant young students from former British possessions to study at Oxford, among them the former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott

Robert Milligan - Scottish merchant and slave owner

Where is his statue? West India Quay outside the Museum London Docklands, where it has stood since 1997 after being moved from its original plinth nearby in 1813

Who was he?

Robert Milligan (1746-1809) was born in Dumfries, Scotland, but soon moved to Kingston, Jamaica, where he managed his wealthy family's sugar plantations.

He returned to London in 1779 where he became instrumental in the construction of the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs.

According to the inscription on the bronze statue's plinth, it was to Milligan's 'genius, perseverance and guardian care' that the docks owed their 'design, accomplishment and regulation'.

From the Docks, ships would sail to West Africa where shipowners such as Milligan bought enslaved Africans.

The ships then crossed the seas to the Caribbean to buy sugar, rum and coffee before returning to England.

At the time of his death in 1809, 526 slaves were registered on Milligan's Jamaican plant called Kellet's and Mammee Gully.

What did he do?

The Bad

• Used slaves to amass great wealth through trade.

• Was a vocal opponent of the abolition of slavery

The good

• Built London's docks. Pooled together a group of wealthy businessmen who together created the West India Docks which brought in shiploads of produce to England.

Thomas Guy

Where is his statue?

Outside Guy's Hospital on June 08, 2020 in London, England

Guy was founder of Guys' Hospital, London. He made his fortune through ownership of a very large amount of shares in the South Sea Company, whose main purpose was to sell slaves to the Spanish Colonies. The South Sea Company supplied 4800 slaves each year for 30 years to Spanish plantations in Central and Southern America

What did he do ?

The bad

• He bought £42,000 shares in the South Sea Company, amassing a fortune when he sold them in 1720

• The South Sea Company supplied 4800 slaves each year for 30 years to Spanish plantations in Central and Southern America

The good

• He became a governor of St Thomas' Hospital, after building three wards

• He later opened Guy's Hospital opposite St Thomas' which cost him £19,000

• In his will Guy bequeathed financial support for prisoners with debt in London, Middlesex and Surrey to be released

William Beckford - Slave owner and politician

Where is his statue? In the Guildhall in London

William Beckford (1709-1770) was born in Jamaica, the son Peter Beckford, one of the most powerful slave-owners of the colonial era.

Peter had purchased sugar plantations on the Caribbean island in 1661, where he also served as Speaker of the legislature. When both Peter and William's elder brother - also Peter - died, he inherited the enormous fortune and estate which included 13 plantations and over 1,000 slaves.

By the time of his death, Beckford's plantations were raking in over £50,000 each year and he is estimated to have amassed £1million in the bank - an eye-watering sum in 18th century Britain.

In the early 1700s he returned to London and used his riches to buy the sprawling Fonthill estate in Wiltshire, which he stuffed with art and expensive furniture.

The house burned down in 1755, but Beckford poured money and resources into rebuilding it. He later embarked on a political career and was elected as an MP in 1754 before serving twice as Lord Mayor of London in 1762 and 1769.

Beckford also used his money to bankroll the rise of future prime minister William Pitt the Elder and ferociously lobbied in favour of the West Indies sugar industry. In 1758, when Pitt was in the cabinet, Beckford advised him to attack the French in the island of Martinique because of the lucrative haul of slaves they could capture.

Beckford had nine children, eight of which were out of wedlock. The only son he had with his wife, Maria Marsh, was the novelist William Thomas Beckford.  Despite enslaving scores of men, at home he banged the drum for liberties, and once even answered back to King George after he arrested notorious critic John Wilkes.

What did he do?

• Inherited and oversaw 13 sugar plantations and more than 1,000 slaves in Jamaica.

• Campaigned for civil liberties as an MP and in 1770 demanded the King dissolve parliament to remove evil ministers.

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The leader of Oxford City Council has this afternoon invited Oriel College to make a planning request to remove the statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes, which has been at the centre of a long-running row.

Councillor Susan Brown said: 'I'm clear in my support for the Black Lives Matter movement and I have a great deal of sympathy with the Rhodes Must Fall campaign. The question of statues and their historical context is not a simple matter, but sometimes acts of symbolism are important. I know my views are shared by a majority of my fellow councillors.

'It would be better for the statue to be placed in a museum, such as the Ashmolean or the Museum of Oxford, to ensure this noteworthy piece of the story of our city isn't lost to history.

'Of course, bringing down statues alone isn't sufficient to address the issue of racism in our society and continued action on this should involve all our city's key institutions.

'I have today written to Oriel College to invite them to apply for planning permission to remove the statue, as it is a Grade II* listed building. Typically such actions are only allowed in the most exceptional of circumstances. But these are exceptional circumstances, and as a city council we are keen to work with Oriel to help them find the right balance between the laws that protect our historic buildings and the moral obligation to reflect on the malign symbolism of this statue.'

Monuments that could be under threat in London would include statues of Robert Milligan in Docklands, William Beckford at London's Guildhall, John Cass at London's Metropolitan University and one Thomas Guy, which stands in the courtyard at Guy's Hospital. 

Campaigners are targeting statues all over the UK including a Edinburgh statue of Henry Dundas, who delayed the abolition of slavery in Scotland, while in Glasgow Barclays Bank has confirmed the 'Buchanan' name will be dropped from a major riverside development over its connection with the slave trade.

The Sir Francis Drake statue on Plymouth's Hoe, where he was playing bowls when he learned Britain was set to be invaded by the Spanish Armada in 1588, is also said to be under threat after BLM supporters set up a 'topple the racists' website mapping more than 30 statues and monuments organisers claim 'celebrate slavery and racism'. 

Sadiq Khan said he 'hopes' the new Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will recommend some memorials in the capital should be removed.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the Mayor of London: 'One of the things that I realise is that I've not got ownership of the statutes or indeed some of the land that these statues are on. But it is a wider conversation I want to have about the diversity of the public realm in our city.

'When you look at the public realm - street names, street squares, murals - not only are there some of slavers that I think should be taken down, and the commission will advise us on that, but actually we don't have enough representation of people of colour, black people, women, those from the LGBT community.' 

But critics have called his approach 'distracting and divisive', with Shaun Bailey, Tory candidate for Mayor of London ,saying: 'He [Mayor Khan] is seeking to distract Londoners from the fact he failed to support his police service during the protests, allowing a small group to hijack a largely peaceful protest and betray the cause of fairness that the vast majority were there to promote. He should be focusing on keeping all Londoners safe and promoting opportunities for all people of colour'. 

Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford, told MailOnline: 'I think the Mayor of London should be focusing on issues that matter to Londoners. Like the bankrupt TFL, the recent crime wave and many other issues.

'Ripping down our history is not something the Mayor was elected to do. Our history is who we are and you can find something bad in everything, be it prime ministers or anyone. The idea of going around London tearing down statues and renaming streets is absurd.

'He is pandering to a politically correct gang of anarchists who hate everything about this country - they are anti-British.'

City Hall called London 'one of the most diverse cities in the world', but said the capital's statues, plaques and street names largely reflect Victorian Britain. 

The statue of Milligan, a 18th century Scottish merchant who owned 526 slaves at his Jamaican sugar plantation, stands outside the Museum of the Docklands near the West India Dock he helped to create near Canary Wharf.

Beckford, a wealthy politician who twice held the office of Lord Mayor of London in the 18th century, is believed to have owned around 3,000 slaves on his plantations in Jamaica. His statue stands inside London's Guildhall.   

Cass was involved in the slave trade, as a member of the Royal African Company's Court of Assistants between 1705 and 1708. 

Company records show Cass having been on the 'committee of correspondence' which dealt with slave agents in the African forts and the Caribbean. Cass also retained shared in the Company until his death in 1718.

A copycat statue stands outside the Sir John Cass School, at Duke's Place and Mitre Street. The original is housed in London's Guidhall.

Guy, the founder of Guy's Hospital, held a large stake in the South Sea Company, which was given a monopoly over the slave trade to the Spanish Colonies in the Americas before the famous 'South Sea Bubble' burst.

A statues dedicated to Guy stands in the courtyard of Guy's Hospital. 

Mr Khan said: 'It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade and while this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities to life in our capital has been wilfully ignored. This cannot continue.

'We must ensure that we celebrate the achievements and diversity of all in our city, and that we commemorate those who have made London what it is - that includes questioning which legacies are being celebrated.

'The Black Lives Matter protests have rightly brought this to the public's attention, but it's important that we take the right steps to work together to bring change and ensure that we can all be proud of our public landscape.'

The commission will be co-chaired by Debbie Weekes-Bernard, the deputy mayor for social integration, social mobility and community engagement, and deputy mayor for culture and creative industries Justine Simons. 

Other statues likely to be targeted by the diversity commission are those of Robert Peel, which stands in Parliament Square.

Peel, the founder of the Metropolitan Police Service, regarded the Foreign Slave Trade Abolition Bill as a threat to the cotton industry. He raised a petition highlighting the risk it presented to the merchants and their trade interests.

A statue dedicated to the former PM now stands in Parliament Square.

The announcement comes ahead of planned anti-racism demonstrations in London as George Floyd is laid to rest in the US, after a killing which Boris Johnson said had awakened an 'incontrovertible, undeniable feeling of injustice' worldwide.

Mr Floyd, who died after a police officer in Minneapolis restrained him by holding a knee on his neck, will be buried in his home town of Houston in Texas today.

A symbolic and socially distanced commemoration is planned at the Nelson Mandela statue in Parliament Square in London at 5pm, organised by Stand Up To Racism.

Following protests across the UK on the weekend, Boris Johnson - who previously condemned the 'thuggery' that marred some of the demonstrations - acknowledged many of the activists' concerns were 'founded on a cold reality'. 

The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters today: 'The PM began Cabinet by discussing the anger and the grief that is felt not just in the US but around the world including the UK following the death of George Floyd. He said those who lead and govern simply cannot ignore the depth of emotion that has been triggered.

'The PM said there was an undeniable feeling of injustice and people from blame and minority ethnic groups do face discrimination in education, in employment, in the application of the criminal law.

'He said that we are a much, much less racist society than we were but we must also frankly acknowledge that there is so much more to do in eradicating prejudice and creating opportunities.

'Cabinet reiterated its commitment to that effort.

The PM said his message to all those who have protested lawfully was 'I hear you and I understand'. However he said this cause is not an acceptable reason for violence, unlawful actions or disregarding social distancing.

'He said those who attack public property or the police are undermining the cause they claim to represent and will face the full force of the law.' 

The Cecil Rhodes statue in Oxford will be targeted by protesters tonight after years of debate about whether it should be removed

The Colston statue, which had been in place since 1895, has been a subject of controversy in recent years - due to Colston's links to the slave trade in the 17th century

It was toppled and thrown into the Bristol Harbour during a BLM protest at the weekend

Activists stand around the Churchill statue after it was daubed in graffiti during BLM protests

As the protests descended into chaos, one protester (left and right) was seen climbing on the historic monument The Cenotaph and setting fire to the Union Jack flag

Police officers stand in a line next to protesters during a BLM rally in Westminster on Sunday

After campaigners pulled down the statue of Mr Colston in Bristol, graffiti was scrawled on the plinth of the Sir Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square. 

Nearly 50 London police officers were injured during the protests at the weekend.

The PM warned legal repercussions must follow, and called for people to 'work peacefully, lawfully, to defeat racism'.

But Mr Khan said he did not consider statues of the likes of Sir Winston Churchill to be included in the review, after the former prime minister's statue in Parliament Square had 'was a racist' scribbled onto it by protesters.

He said pupils needed to be educated about famous figures 'warts and all' and that 'nobody was perfect', including the likes of Churchill, Gandhi and Malcolm X.

A plaque will be added to a statue of controversial 19th Century politician Henry Dundas who delayed the abolition of slavery - after a two-year stalemate on wording.

Dundas, a conservative politician who was eventually impeached, is commemorated at the Melville Monument in St Andrews Square, Edinburgh.

The plinth was tagged with graffiti reading 'George Floyd' at a Black Lives Matter demo at the weekend - where calls were renewed for a plaque to be added to the statue, explaining Dundas' role in delaying the abolition of slavery in the 1800s.

Scotland's first black professor, Sir Geoff Palmer, has been calling for a plaque detailing Dundas' role in Scotland's history of the slave trade - but talks with the City of Edinburgh Council ground to a halt two years ago due to a dispute around the wording.

A descendant of Dundas, Benjamin Carey, also slated a lack of enthusiasm from the council which had recently said it would no longer 'facilitate meetings' - a stance which has now changed.

Mr Carey said: 'My ancestor is controversial, but Edinburgh needs to own him, warts and all.'

George Floyd (left), a 46-year-old black man, died after white police officer Derek Chauvin (right) put his knee on his neck in Minneapolis on May 25 for nine minutes

'Go back to Africa!': 'Racists' are caught on camera hurling shocking abuse at Black Lives Matter protestors in angry street confrontation

'Racist' thugs were filmed hurling shocking abuse at Black Lives Matter protestors in Hertfordshire yesterday, with one man shouting: 'Go back to Africa'.

The footage was recorded in the town of Hoddesdon as around 300 peaceful protestors gathered to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd in America and racism in society. 

They gathered by the Clock Tower in the town's centre, holding signs and chanting 'No justice, no peace' while appearing to maintain social distancing.

However, they were met by a horde of angry locals, who numbered around 200 and hurled abuse at them. 

In shocking scenes, the counter-demonstrators swore and threatened the Black Lives Matter protestors, with one telling them to 'go back to Africa'. 

Others hurled a string of foul-mouthed curses and even seemed to challenge the activists to fights. 

Black Lives Matter protestors in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire were met by furious locals who hurled abuse at them

A particularly furious thug was taken aside by police and spoken to but told the officer 'don't you even think about it'.

The Black Lives Matter protestors appeared to be made up of young people, with a large number of young women. 

The counter-demonstrators were heard chanting: 'Get your t**s out for the lads.'

They also shouted that the protests were because KFC was closed because of the coronavirus lockdown, a reference to the racist stereotype that black people enjoy fried chicken. 

The event organisers posted a message on their Instagram page after the event that read: 'Thank you to everyone who came out and protested today.

'Though we had to directly face racists who tried to discredit our efforts, together we showed solidarity, letting Hoddesdon know that #blacklivesmatter.'

Some protestors also reported that the counter-demonstrators made Nazi salutes, though this wasn't captured on film.  

One protestor said: 'They were saying, 'go back to your own country', 'go back to your rock', there were Nazi salutes, 'you're not welcome here','educate yourself', 'you're only here because we allowed you to come here' - that narrative the whole time.'

Around 300 peaceful protestors gathered to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd in America and racism in society in Hoddesdon

The Black Lives Matter protestors appeared to be made up of young people, with a large number of young women

Demi-Leigh Sheahan attended the protest: 'Personally, what I find so disgusting and frightening about these videos is, firstly, that ending racism has somehow become a controversial topic. 

'Regardless whether you support the riots or not, I would find it hard to believe that you would be comfortable with a fully grown adult man shouting 'get your t**s out' at your daughter, mother, sister, friend or even just anyone you know.'

Hertfordshire Police did not make any arrests at the protest, though they are currently looking at some of the ugly scenes from the demonstration that have been shared on social media. 

Speaking ahead of the demonstration, Zain, one of the organisers,  said: 'We wanted to show solidarity within Hertfordshire as well as bringing other black people and others in Hertfordshire together. It's to show that in the UK there are still issues that black people are facing.

'It's important as, while we're facing a pandemic, there's still also the risk of being killed as a black person - we're facing two pandemics.

'I think the main issues are that it's not as blatant here [in Hertfordshire]. So people will sometimes make comments that are ignorant or that they don't realise are racist to say.

They were met by a horde of angry locals, who numbered around 200 and hurled abuse at them

Hertfordshire Police did not make any arrests at the protest, though they are currently looking at some of the ugly scenes from the demonstration

This woman was stunned after hearing someone yell 'Go back to Africa' at the protestors

'The people here don't know because it's a predominantly white area so they don't realise how that actually affects people.

'I'd like to see more education on this because one thing that we have noticed is that so many people are unaware of what is even going on in this country.

'We need to make sure people stay educated on these issues and that it's made more apparent. People will say 'oh it's a multicultural society' but they don't look at the darker side of things.

'It should be made one of the main things we study in history in schools.

'Some schools offer a brief African history as an option but it's not pushed enough and making it one of the main focuses on the curriculum would be really useful.'

The angry locals claimed they were attempting to protect the town's war memorial after seeing statues defaced in other protests across the UK. 

However, there is no indication that the protestors planned to damage the memorial, with organisers insisting the demonstration was peaceful.

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2020-06-09 13:50:53Z
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Coronavirus: Plan dropped for all primary pupils back in school - BBC News

The plan for all primary school years in England to go back to school before the end of term is to be dropped by the government.

There had been an aim for all primary pupils to spend four weeks in school before the summer break.

But it is no longer thought to be feasible and instead schools will be given "flexibility" over whether or not to admit more pupils.

Head teachers' leaders said it had never been a practical possibility.

It comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock conceded at Monday's Downing Street briefing that secondary schools in England may not fully reopen until September "at the earliest".

How many pupils are going back to school?

Primary pupils in England in Reception, Year 1 and 6 began to return to school last week - and figures published by the Department for England have shown how many attended, based on 4 June.

It shows that about three quarters of those who could have returned to school were still at home - reflecting that almost half of schools were not open for extra pupils.

• 52% of primary schools opened for extra pupils
• 11% of primary pupils were in school - about a quarter of those year groups who could have gone back
• 659,000 children were in all schools, including children of key workers, almost 7% who would normally attend, up from 2.6% before half term

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair a cabinet meeting later to discuss the next steps to ease lockdown restrictions, before Education Secretary Gavin Williamson delivers a statement to the House of Commons on the reopening of schools.

There are separate rules for managing the threat of coronavirus in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Children in England began returning to primary schools in a phased process last week, with Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils heading back first.

Mr Williamson will give an indication later of how many more pupils in England have returned, but he is also expected to say that primary schools will no longer have to prepare for the return of all pupils, as previously proposed by the government.

The "pressure" to get ready will be removed, with heads and governors being free to decide whether they can bring in more classes.

Analysis

By Hannah Richardson, BBC Education reporter

Today's announcement is expected to make formal what head teachers and governors in England have been saying for some time.

It's not possible to massively increase the space each class needs to meet social distancing rules, and bring everyone back.

There's not enough room.

While Number 10 and the education secretary pushed on with the plans, they lost the support of some groups of parents, people working in schools and teaching unions.

There are the concerns that having more pupils in schools will contribute to an increase in Covid-19 infections, both among pupils and staff and in their communities, and the inconclusiveness of the scientific evidence on this.

Balanced against this are also the very real fears of parents, about how on earth they are going to manage with their youngsters at home for another two or three months - minimum - let alone keep up to date with their educational needs.

There are growing voices for the government to start to think more strategically and more creatively. A strategic national plan is being called for, one that realises the scale of the problem and matches the scale of the support the economy has seen.

The announcement means that many children in these other year groups will not be back in school until September or even after.

Care minister Helen Whately told BBC Breakfast that ministers "don't want to take risks that might increase the infection rates", but recognise that being out of school is "particularly a problem" for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and that the education gap "can widen".

Children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield told the programme that the prospect of secondary school pupils not returning until beyond September was "deeply worrying".

"It's a disruption we've not seen since the Second World War," she said.

She added that "the education divide is broadening" and "almost a decade of catching up on that education gap may well be lost".

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She also called children's education to be made the number one priority in government, adding that otherwise there was a risk that "childhood is just going to be furloughed for months."

Commons Education Committee chairman Robert Halfon called for a national strategic plan to get schools open as soon as possible. He also warned that with schools remaining closed the majority of pupils would lose 40% of their time in class this year.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think we're a strange country in which we turn a blind eye to mass demonstrations all over in every city, we campaign for pubs and cafes to open and yet we say to open schools before September is too risky when all the evidence... suggests otherwise."

Mr Halfon also responded to concerns raised by a teacher on BBC Radio 5 live about schools having to fund supply teachers from their own budgets. "If schools need extra funding in order to make sure their classrooms are social distancing, than government should provide that funding," he said.

Parents' views are mixed

One mother told the Today programme that she was "unsurprised" but "incredibly disappointed" by the news.

"I feel really sad for my son. I've got one son in year two and another one in reception.

"My child in reception [has] gone back, albeit only four days a week, every other week.

"And my older son, who is just about to turn seven, is desperate to go back, can't understand, thinks it's so unfair - which it is."

But another mother, with two children aged eight and six, disagreed.

"I'm actually relieved if schools don't go back until September because I think it's too soon.

"They don't socially distance at that age. I don't think there's enough protective equipment available in school."

Head teachers had warned several weeks ago that it was not a realistic possibility to accommodate all primary year groups at the same time, with social distancing limiting their capacity.

Class sizes are now only 15 pupils or less - so if each class occupied two classrooms, school leaders argued that they would have no space for all year groups to return.

"The 'ambition' to bring back all primary year groups for a month before the end of the summer term was a case of the government over-promising something that wasn't deliverable," said Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union.

"It isn't possible to do that while maintaining small class sizes and social bubbles," he said.

Paul Whiteman, of the National Association of Head Teachers, said "we're pleased to see the government will not force the impossible" and that the plan had too many "practical barriers".

Ian Robinson, chief executive of the Oak Partnership Trust, which runs primary schools and a special school in Somerset, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the announcement shows ministers "are listening to the profession".

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Schools have remained open throughout the lockdown for children of key workers and vulnerable children.

But last Monday primary schools began the process of inviting back another two million children across three year groups.

Secondary pupils in Years 10 and 12 are to begin returning for some sessions in school from 15 June.

It is thought that primary pupil numbers have been increasing as parents have become more confident - but there have also been local concerns about different regional rates of infection.

Teachers' unions have warned that it is too early to return to school - and some local authorities have delayed a return in their areas.

But the Department for Education has argued that children need to get back to lessons - and that safety has been "paramount" in the plans to bring back more pupils.

Schools in Wales will reopen from 29 June to all age groups for limited periods during the week, while Scottish schools are to reopen at the start of the autumn term on 11 August, with some continued home-learning.

Some Northern Irish pupils preparing for exams and those about to move to post-primary schools will go back in late August, with a phased return for the rest in September.

The UK has recorded its lowest daily rise in the number of coronavirus deaths since before lockdown on 23 March, according to the latest government figures.

A further 55 people died after testing positive with the virus as of 17:00 BST on Sunday, taking the total to 40,597.

There tends to be fewer deaths reported on Mondays - due to a reporting lag over the weekend.

The figures came as a study estimated lockdowns have saved more than three million lives from coronavirus in Europe.

Researchers from Imperial College London used computer models to predict the spread of the virus if no restrictions had been put in place in 11 European countries, finding that the "death toll would have been huge" without lockdown.

In the UK, the lockdown prevented 470,000 deaths up to 4 May, according to the study.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), less than a fifth of deaths registered in England and Wales during the last week of May involved Covid-19 - the lowest proportion since the lockdown began.

There were 9,824 deaths registered during that week - less than the previous week, but still 1,653 deaths higher than what would usually be expected, the ONS said. Of these, 1,822 involved the virus.

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2020-06-09 12:32:58Z
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Fears statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes will be torn down at Black Lives Matter protest in Oxford today - The Sun

FEARS have been raised a statue of imperialist Cecil Rhodes could be pulled down by protesters tonight - days after the toppling of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol.

The Rhodes Must Fall Oxford campaign group has called for the image of the controversial mining magnate and empire builder to be removed from Oriel College, arguing the university has "failed to address its institutional racism".

⚠️ Click here for the latest news on Black Lives Matter

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Campaigners want to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes from the entrance to Oriel College in OxfordCredit: PA:Press Association

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Students have called for the removal of the Rhodes statue for years Credit: Getty Images - Getty

It comes after a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and dumped into Bristol Harbour during a Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday.

Demonstrators will protest in front of the Rhodes statue on the High Street in Oxford this evening as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

A sign saying "Rhodes, you're next" was taped to The University Church of St Mary the Virgin, opposite the statue, on Sunday.

One Twitter user wrote: "Hoping that the Rhodes statue gets smashed in Oxford today."

Author Jason Hickel tweeted: "Today, Rhodes Must Fall. If the students choose to remove the statue themselves, I support them. There is no justification for elevating an imperialist who vandalized a continent in the name of white supremacy. The statue has to go."

An open letter from campaigners to the university's vice-chancellor claims the institution has only made "inconsequential inroads" into tackling the material legacy of imperialism, adding it "is not enough".

Thousands of people have signed two new petitions calling for the statue of colonialist Rhodes at Oriel College to be taken down.

It comes amid a wider "decolonise" movement sweeping universities across the world in recent years.

The Rhodes Must Fall movement was established in 2015 at Cape Town University, and later spread to Oxford, where students demanded the statue of Rhodes was removed from Oriel College.

In 2016, Oriel College decided to keep the statue following threats from wealthy donors to withdraw £100million in funding. 

And now, in an open letter to the University of Oxford's vice-chancellor, campaigners said "none of the demands of the movement have been met and student protests and concerns continue to be dismissed by senior members of the university".

Campaigners from the Rhodes Must Fall group argued the row illustrated Britain's "imperial blind spot".

Femi Nylander, one of the original Rhodes Must Fall campaigners, said the university made "a series of promises" to black students around the curriculum and access and representation following the movement in 2015.

But he said these never materialised and the statue was not removed.

He added: "They should not be continuing to celebrate this man. Having a statue is a celebration."

The open letter to the university, signed by more than 6,600 individuals and organisations, outlines five steps that campaigners want the university to take to "make upholding anti-racist values a reality".

Who was Cecil Rhodes?

CECIL Rhodes was a 19th century mining magnate who helped Victorian Britain colonise much of Southern Africa and held opinions that now offend modern values.

Rhodes was one of the era' most famous imperialists, with Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe and Zambia - named after him.  

Born in Bishop's Stortford in 1853, he was a sickly child before
heading to Africa aged 17.

He grew cotton before moving into diamond mining, founding the De Beers firm.

As Prime Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896, his government restricted the rights of black Africans by setting financial qualifications for voting.

He attended Oriel College in 1873. On his death in 1902 the Rhodes Scholarship was set up to help non-British students study at Oxford.

Rhodes Scholars include Bill Clinton and three former Australian PMs.

Students campaigned to have the figure of Victorian empire builder torn down in 2016 over claims he was a racist.

But Oriel College decided to keep it following threats from wealthy donors to withdraw £100million in funding. 

Oxford East MP and Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the "critical thing is to listen to the black community within Oxford."

She said: "My view is that it staying where it is without any other symbol there that would highlight what occurred during those awful times is not helpful.

"Some people want an opposing symbol there, you have others who want it to be removed - for me the critical thing is to listen to the black community within Oxford and those who are directly impacted by this.

"I am not going to seek to speak for them, I don't think that would be helpful."

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran said, while she did not endorse "vigilante action", the statue "must come down".

She said: "The statues of white supremacists and slave merchants should not still be standing in our cities. That's why the statue of Cecil Rhodes must come down.

"I'm not endorsing vigilante action - but I would urge Oriel College in the strongest terms to think about what message this statue sends in 2020, and to remove it."

At least 26 Oxford city councillors have also called for the statue to be "immediately" removed in an open letter.

Thames Valley Police said it was "committed to facilitating a peaceful protest" and said it was "working constructively with organisers".

The toppling of Colston's statue has led to demands for other historic monuments to be removed.

A petition was launched to take down the statue of Robert Clive, known as Clive of India, in The Square in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, which described the 18th century figure as "nothing more than an figure of oppression and white supremacy".

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In Wales, Cardiff's first black Lord Mayor, Dan De’Ath, is calling on local councillors to remove the statue of Sir Thomas Picton, who was accused of executing slaves, stating it is "no longer acceptable" for it to remain in City Hall.

In Edinburgh, a petition was launched to remove the statue of slave owner Henry Dundas in St Andrew Square and for streets bearing his name to be renamed.

And a "racist" pub sign which has been likened to a gollywog is to be removed "with immediate effect" following mounting pressure from campaigners to have it taken down.

Thousands of people signed a petition demanding the removal of a caricature of a black man above the 18th century Greenman pub sign in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

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Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the statue of Colston on SundayCredit: London News Pictures

Who was Edward Colston and how was he involved in the British slave trade?

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2020-06-09 11:49:38Z
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UK coronavirus death toll tops 50,000, new data shows - CNN

At least 50,413 people had died, as of late May, with Covid-19 listed on their death certificate, according to England and Wales' Office for National Statistics (ONS), the National Records of Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

The ONS said 45,748 had died with the virus in England and Wales as of May 29.

A further 3,911 died in Scotland as of May 31, and 754 passed away with the virus in Northern Ireland as of May 29.

The UK has the second highest number of coronavirus deaths globally. Its death toll is surpassed only by the US, which has recorded more than 111,000 fatalities.

This latest data differs from the British government's official count. The UK's Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has reported only 40,680 coronavirus fatalities, which is the number included in the Johns Hopkins University Covid-19 Dashboard.

The discrepancy between the two death tolls is caused by different counting methods. The DHSC only records deaths where the deceased was previously diagnosed with coronavirus, as opposed to the disease being detected post-mortem.

The UK has officially recorded 288,834 cases of coronavirus, the highest case total in Europe.

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2020-06-09 10:33:51Z
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George Floyd protests: Oxford demo to target statue of imperialist at university - Sky News

Campaigners have reignited a campaign for a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes to be removed from an Oxford University college amid growing anti-racism protests.

At the weekend, a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston was toppled in Bristol.

Now campaigners want to see the Oriel College monument to Rhodes - a 19th century businessman and politician in southern Africa - removed, and have planned a protest in front of the statue at the same time as George Floyd's funeral in Houston, Texas.

Protesters topple slave trader statue

Demonstrations supporting the Black Lives Matter movement have been taking place across the UK since the death of Mr Floyd during his arrest by a white police officer in the US two weeks ago, and there have since been increasing demands to remove the legacy of racism and colonialism from institutions.

A petition has been signed by thousands of people calling for the Rhodes monument to be brought down "as soon as possible".

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It says: "As long as the statue stands the university is only alienating those of whom Rhodes's beliefs have persecuted and oppressed to this very day."

Despite widespread student demands to remove it in 2016, the university decided to keep the statue of Rhodes - viewed by some as the founding father of Apartheid - because it represented "the complexity of history and of the legacies of colonialism".

More from Black Lives Matter

It said at the time it would "seek to provide a clear historical context to explain why it is there".

The Rhodes Must Fall Oxford campaign group argues the university has "failed to address its institutional racism" and the impact on students and the city.

'Churchill was a racist' written on statue

An open letter on Tuesday to the university's vice-chancellor from campaigners signed by more than 6,600 individuals and organisations, including city councillors, says the institution has only made "inconsequential inroads" into tackling the material legacy of imperialism, adding it "is not enough".

It reads: "A city's public art and monuments should reflect its values. The presence of this statue on our high street is incompatible with our city's proud internationalist heritage and commitment to anti-racism."

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Rhodes served as prime minister of the British Empire's Cape Colony, including South Africa, in the early 1890s.

Policies he pursued have been seen as paving the way for racial segregation.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of cities including London, Manchester, Cardiff, Leicester and Bath to protest against racism following Mr Floyd's death.

The 46-year-old died in Minneapolis after a police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck for at least eight minutes while arresting him for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 note in a shop on 25 May.

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2020-06-09 10:01:14Z
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20,000 pupils and staff in England will be given swab tests to see how Covid spreads in classroom - Daily Mail

Will your child EVER go back to school? Government DROPS plan to get all pupils back by September and launches testing scheme to monitor Covid-19 spread in schools as education chiefs say there are not enough classrooms or teachers to operate safely

• Matt Hancock said secondary schools to reopen by September 'at the earliest'
• Ministers set to drop plans to get all primary school pupils back before summer 
• Health Secretary also announced new programme to test teachers and pupils 
• The voluntary scheme will see staff and students given swab and antibody tests 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By Jack Maidment, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline and Henry Martin For Mailonline

Published: 07:29 BST, 9 June 2020 | Updated: 10:57 BST, 9 June 2020

Secondary schools could remain shut beyond September while ministers are set to drop plans to get all primary pupils back in the classroom before the summer holidays.  

The Government has an 'ambition' to get primary schools fully back up and running by the end of June so that pupils could receive at least one month's education before the summer break. 

But the phased reopening of primary schools to reception, year one and year six has shown that many schools simply do not have enough space to welcome back all pupils while also complying with social distancing rules. 

As a result Department for Education sources have said 'we are likely to step back a bit' on the primary school reopening pledge.

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock last night appeared to concede that the Government could struggle to reopen secondary schools by the start of the new academic year. 

Students in year 10 and 12 will be allowed to meet teachers from June 15 as they prepare for exam years but the goal of a total reopening in September looks unlikely. 

Mr Hancock said it was still 'our current working plan' that secondary schools in England would not reopen until September 'at the earliest'. 

Some education chiefs said they were not surprised that the Government was having to backtrack on its reopening plans because ministers had 'over-promised' on something that 'wasn't deliverable'. 

However, Anne Longfield, the Children's Commissioner for England, said the prospect of the Government dropping its primary school 'ambition' represented a 'huge disappointment'.

It came as Mr Hancock announced that up to 20,000 pupils and teachers will receive coronavirus tests so that ministers can monitor the spread of the disease as schools do reopen. 

The testing programme will be rolled out to 100 schools across England by the end of the summer term with around 200 staff and children tested in each. 

The programme will be entirely voluntary and will be a mix of swab tests to see if people currently have coronavirus and antibody blood tests to see if people have previously had the disease.

Boris Johnson is expected to discuss the schools reopening plans at a meeting of the Cabinet this morning before Education Secretary Gavin Williamson delivers a statement to Parliament on the issue this afternoon. 

With approval from parents and guardians, children will be tested to see whether they have Covid-19 (pictured: Deep cleaning the classrooms at St Alphege Church of England Junior School, Solihull)

Children sit at individual desks during a lesson at the Harris Academy's Shortland's school last week in London

Mr Hancock is the first Government minister to concede that the reopening of secondary schools could be delayed beyond September.

The Health Secretary said coronavirus is 'in retreat' and that plans to further ease lockdown restrictions including the reopening of non-essential shops from Monday could go ahead. 

But with the phased reopening of England's schools having begun last week, he acknowledged older pupils could still face months without physically attending classes.

'That is our current working plan, is that secondary schools won't open until September at the earliest,' he said. 

Ian Robinson said he did not think lessening the social distancing restrictions from two metres to one would help matters in schools.

When the possible move was put to the Oak Partnership Trust chief executive, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I don't think so - you can't keep children two feet or even 1.5 feet away from each other.

'We've worked on the principle of no more than 15 children per classroom, so one of our schools, when we've got all three of our year groups in and over 50 key worker and vulnerable children in, have 250 children on site - they have got 12 classrooms.

'If you divide those children into groups of 15, you don't have any more classrooms, you don't have any more teachers to be able to bring any more year groups back in.'

Mr Robinson said it was not a 'silver bullet' to bring disadvantaged children in before the end of term and said there were 'broader' issues to resolve, including making laptops more available and continuing free school meals during the summer holidays.

He added: 'I'm not sure there is much of a gain to bringing children back for four weeks, to be honest.'

Meanwhile, the Department for Education said it remained the 'ambition' for all primary school children to return before the summer holidays - but did not deny reports Mr Williamson will accept this desire may not be fulfilled.  

A senior source at the Department for Education told The Sun: 'Some schools don't have enough space - we have always said we will listen to schools so we are likely to step back a bit on that.

'Some schools are bigger so are able to split kids up. But we understand not all will be able to do this.'

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he was not surprised the plans to bring back all primary pupils before the summer holidays had been dropped.

He said: 'The 'ambition' to bring back all primary year groups for a month before the end of the summer term was a case of the Government over-promising something that wasn't deliverable.

'It isn't possible to do that while maintaining small class sizes and social bubbles, so we aren't surprised that the policy has been jettisoned.' 

But Ms Longfield said ditching the timetable would dash the hopes of many children and would have long term learning implications.

She told BBC Breakfast: 'I think it's a huge disappointment for those children who'd expected to go back into school before the summer now now may not.

'It does mean that the vast majority, probably about eight million children, very likely won't return to the classroom until September, which means that, again, there will be a huge variation in their learning over that period.'

She said children will remain 'isolated', with many living in 'fragile' family environments.

'I hope that Government doesn't just write off this period,' Ms Longfield said.

Robert Halfon, the Conservative chairman of the Education select committee told the Telegraph he was very concerned about the lack of teaching for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

He said: 'Eighty-five per cent of disadvantaged children are not learning. A survey of 900 headteachers said that possibly 700,000 children are possibly not doing schoolwork.

Matt Hancock said at the Downing Street briefing that it was still 'our current working plan' that secondary schools in England will not open until September 'at the earliest'

'This will mean [they have missed] half the school year, and it could set these children back by many many months. This is going to have a massive impact on children.

'It is incredibly tough for parents who may need to go back to work and will have real difficulties in terms of child care.'

Currently children are placed in 'protective bubbles' of no more than 15 children per class at primary school to help prevent the spread of this disease.

But this often requires using additional classrooms or different areas of the school, with some facilities not able to find enough space to fit all their pupils in. 

Speaking ahead of his statement to MPs, Mr Williamson told Sky News: 'We know that being in school is vital for children's education and their well-being.

'Last week, primary schools began to welcome back some pupils and secondary schools will begin to do the same from 15 June, as part of our phased and cautious approach to getting children and young people back into the classroom.' 

The disarray over the reopening of schools in England came as Mr Hancock announced plans to roll out coronavirus tests to teachers and pupils. 

With approval from parents and guardians, children will be tested to see whether they have Covid-19 or have had an infection in the past under the surveillance programme.

Mr Hancock is aiming to have up to 100 schools tested across England by the end of the summer term, with around 200 staff and children involved at each of those schools.

'This study will help us better understand how common asymptomatic and mild cases of Covid-19 are so that we can support parents, pupils and teachers and support staff, and inform our ongoing response to this new virus,' he said.

The move may allay some concerns that the lockdown has been eased too quickly, as well as those from teaching unions over staff safety.

With children less likely to show coronavirus symptoms, swab tests would be used to better understand the spread of the disease throughout schools.

Streets outside Eton College buildings last week remain very quiet during the coronavirus lockdown

In a reception classroom, children sit apart from each other on a carpet where crosses have been marked out for them to sit on, in a teaching environment safe from Coronavirus for pupils and teachers at Brambles Primary Academy in Huddersfield, northern England last week

Antibody tests on blood samples would also be available for a small proportion of schools to see if pupils and staff have had Covid-19 and recovered.

The Department of Health and Social Care stressed the scheme would be voluntary, with parents and guardians being asked to provide informed consent before testing is carried out.

Dr Shamez Ladhani, a paediatric infectious diseases consultant at Public Health England, said: 'The results of this study will play an important role in informing wider surveillance planned for educational settings in the autumn term.

'Through active surveillance, contact tracing and the close monitoring of any clusters of cases, we are committed to ensuring the safety of students and staff returning to school in the coming weeks and months.'

The Liberal Democrats' education spokeswoman Layla Moran said the measure would be 'too little, too late' as she called for the Government to get the test and trace system up to speed to prevent a second wave of Covid-19.  

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2020-06-09 09:54:22Z
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