A PROPOSAL to protect England’s heritage has been welcomed by one of the borough’s four MPs.
On Sunday, communities secretary Robert Jenrick said he intends to introduce new safeguards to ensure that historic monuments, statues and plaques would require full planning permission before being removed to ensure that they are only taken down with the consent of the community.
It comes following protests last year, which included a statue of a slave trader in Bristol being toppled and thrown into its harbour.
Mr Jenrick said that monuments “celebrate great moments in British history” and called for English Heritage to help explain their context.
“We cannot – and should not – now try to edit or censor our past,” he said. “What has stood for generations should be considered thoughtfully, not removed on a whim.”
Bracknell MP James Sunderland agreed with the proposals.
“We can’t forget history, and we need to use the lessons from history
to educate in the future,” he said.
“In my humble view, I think it’s wrong that people are seeking to pull down these reminders.
“They are parts of our heritage and we should be preserving as much as we can.
“We can’t change the past, but we have to learn from it.”
The MP has been part of a campaign to make it an offence to desecrate war memorials.
“In my view, there is no debate, no argument: war memorials must be protected by law, the memories of those who made the ultimate sacrifice must be protected.
“I also support Robert Jenrick’s proposal for the same reason. Chopping things down is not the answer.”
Mr Sunderland, whose constituency includes Crow-thorne, Finchampstead, Sand-hurst, and Wokingham Without, has joined the 50-strong Common Sense Group of Conservative MPs, which he says will stand up for the silent majority while supporting British values and the union.
“These MPs are very proud of their country, they’re proud of their flag, their heritage and they’re proud to be serving in a British parliament.
“So I have little time for those naysayers who seek to sell us short, to close down objective dialogue, who pedal political correctness as a kind of religious dogma or those on the woke left who seek only to divide. They don’t speak for me.”
He added that the group was not about “unpicking” or doing the nation down.
“It is about embracing everything that’s good about Britain, which includes its proud history and traditions, reputation in the world, its fantastic diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism, new global trade and that wonderful rich tapestry of communities we’ve got across the UK.
“It’s ultimately about opportunity and aspiration for everyone, not about feeling guilty or needing to apologise for who we are.”
The new group will be pushing for recognition for veterans involved in nuclear testing, and has this week written to the culture secretary Oliver Dowden calling for statues or plaques to be erected for people who had been awarded the Victoria or George Cross, for displaying valour in the presence of the enemy, or courage in circumstances of extreme danger.
These memorials would be placed in their home villages or towns, and would see nearly 1,700 such plaques erected.
“It’s absolutely the right thing to do,” Mr Sunderland said.
