Sky News Study Finds Quarter Of Controversial Statues Removed, Should Be Removed Or Under Review Since Edward Colston Monument Tipped Down | UK News

A quarter of the disputed statues have been removed, will be removed or are undergoing overhaul since the Edward Colston monument was toppled last year, according to a Sky News study.

Examining the statues includes consulting members of the public and gathering the views of art and culture panelists.

Sky News contacted 44 councils in England, Wales and Scotland who share 84 controversial statues. All were condemned for their links to slavery and colonialism.

Of the 84 statues, 21 have been removed, must be removed or are undergoing overhaul since the Colston slave trader statue was demolished in Bristol last year.

Since the public overthrow, a statue of slave trader Robert Milligan has been dismantled by local authority in London Docklands – and the University of East London has removed a statue of merchant and slave trader Sir John Cass.

He is now considering whether to remove his name from one of the buildings on campus, while institutions like City University London have already removed his name from one of their own.

Cardiff Council also voted to remove the statue of Waterloo slaver and war hero Sir Thomas Picton from Town Hall, but is awaiting final approval from the Welsh government.

There are 18 statues in the three countries under study. Most can be found in the larger cities of Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In Edinburgh there are no immediate plans to remove statues or monuments – but a Legacy of Slavery and Colonialism Review Group has been set up to discuss everyone’s future monuments, plaques and names of roads in the city.

The volunteers of the group, who all …