please empty your brain below
Funny, for sure.

But Angry Nige is MOST likely to be one of those “Cash is King” types and have that on a poster or T-Shirt and wouldn’t be saying “No one uses cash, Grandad” as they’d be going around using cash as much as possible.

The government is tracking you, you see.

Bogan | 04.06.26 - 7:11 a.m. | #

it will be a splendid thing to observe as it unravels - when Reform and their cronies do inevitably get in, and introduce Crypto, the Tim Foil hat brigade ( anti-Vax, Flat Earth, 5G masts are evil, Sovereign citizens ) won’t know how to choose between the party they voted for, and their “Cash is King” Matt’s. I shall be eating popcorn, and watching …

karen | 04.06.26 - 7:32 a.m. | #

I voted yesterday. Then it asked if I was ok to answer some extra questions. I said yes as I thought it would be an opportunity to say get rid of Charles too, but no, they just wanted to know my age, colour of skin and sexual orientation !

Bernard | 04.06.26 - 7:34 a.m. | #

Just tried to select what Reform voters would consider the 'wokest' animal in the online poll

Tom | 04.06.26 - 7:35 a.m. | #

Thanks for highlighting this. If I hadn't read your blog it's probable I wouldn't have voted. Even though it's not binding I've now voted.

Trevor S | 04.06.26 - 7:38 a.m. | #

I based my four choices on what I think has the most complexity, so that the BoE can hide security stuff, so dolphin, seal, puffin and frog are out because they are too plain.

I'm not entirely sure what contribution foxes make, they are noisy in the middle of the night, redistribute the contents of bin bags before the dustman can collect them and have the ability to climb fences to access your garden, which leaves the cat a nervous wreck.

Winston Churchill - the more you find out, the less he deserves his status.

Still Anon | 04.06.26 - 7:42 a.m. | #

The charity Plantlife is annoyed that "wildlife" includes only animals, not plants or fungi. They are being quite polite about it though.

Tony | 04.06.26 - 8:05 a.m. | #

I can see where Plantlife are coming from, but with only four notes in circulation even "animals" is a bit broad. Maybe if we had a Euro-style 100 and 500 as well.

I still find it slightly unnerving that none of the images on Euro notes actually exist. I know *why*, but still find it slightly surreal.

Chz | 04.06.26 - 8:41 a.m. | #

I chose Kingfisher, Woodpecker, Dragonfly, and Butterfly because I figure the Bank of England would use the colours and patterns to make it harder to produce a forgery.

Barry | 04.06.26 - 8:45 a.m. | #

Saw an argument online about just this matter yesterday. It was angry Niges versus anti-Zionists.

It was depressing.

Chris | 04.06.26 - 8:46 a.m. | #

A terrific exchange, brilliantly captured. This made my morning - well done.

Petras409 | 04.06.26 - 8:54 a.m. | #

I don't really approve of this change, would rather have people who are national heroes etc on banknotes as in the past century...

But presumably the four animals will need to be seen to represent the four countries of the UK. Which is my thinking behind pine marten (for NI) and salmon (for Scotland). Not really sure what night represent Wales - Marsh fritillary or a puffin, maybe?, fox or more likely an owl for England.

Dominic H | 04.06.26 - 8:54 a.m. | #

Would the BoE put the Atlantic Salmon on a banknote as it is already on the new 50p, not that I have ever had one in my change yet.

Barry | 04.06.26 - 8:59 a.m. | #

None of these choices, with the exception perhaps of the Puffin, are exceptional to the UK. The white tailed eagle is the national symbol od Germany and hangs in the Bundestag. I can see there is lots here for the Angry Brigade, fired on by the Daily Mail to bleat on about. Todays blog gives us an excellent synopsis of what will happen in the next few months. Although at least the BoE is clever enough to avoid a Boaty McBoatface moment. Sometimes public consultation is counterproductive. This might just be one of them.

Keith the Kraut | 04.06.26 - 9:03 a.m. | #

Angry Nige should vote for the frog. It does look like him.

Neil | 04.06.26 - 9:03 a.m. | #

It might be 'Cash is King' for the followers, but for Nige and his pals 'Crypto is King' and the path to unimaginable riches.

JohnC | 04.06.26 - 9:11 a.m. | #

Amazing to think Stephen Fry made it on to our nation's fiver back in 2002. Wouldn't happen nowadays, we'd much rather have a beaver. Or something.

Simeon B | 04.06.26 - 9:31 a.m. | #

Simeon B, ha ha!
(I assume you're kidding, difficult to tell)

Wendy C | 04.06.26 - 9:46 a.m. | #

Regarding the comment about the euro notes' imaginary architectural images: this is likely to change with the third series. Originally expected in 2024, it has been delayed until the late 2020s. Current proposals suggest that prominent figures from European culture will appear on the notes:
€5 – Callas
€10 – Beethoven
€20 – Curie
€50 – Cervantes
€100 – da Vinci
€200 – von Suttner

Steve | Homepage | 04.06.26 - 10:12 a.m. | #

I must've slept through the era when Pamela Stephenson was on my fivers.

Frank F | 04.06.26 - 11:52 a.m. | #

Can't help feeling that notes with animals will look rather like those twee and whimsical Nat West chequebooks one could opt for in the early 80's. Not very inspiring. Its not like we've run out of famous and distinguished Brits, even if Churchill has had his day.

At least we seem to have avoided Paddington, though the four heroes of The Wind In The Willows would have been nice. And hats off to whoever suggested combining themes in Churchill the insurance Bulldog.

David B | 04.06.26 - 12:15 p.m. | #

I've grown up using the current notes, it would be really strange seeing them change. I'm sure we can find some more politicians, writers, artists, scientists to put on our notes, but then they'll always be divisive no matter what.

Whilst I love animals, they also almost feel like a safe option that no one could legitimately hate because come on, puffins are adorable.

Get the red squirrel on the fiver, though, to promote their conservation, I'm surprised they've not been shortlisted! They're also really cute :D

All Over 2a | Homepage | 04.06.26 - 1:09 p.m. | #

Someone should remind Angry Nige that Churchill was replaced by the people in 1945.

Bob Walker | 04.06.26 - 1:32 p.m. | #

Animals on banknotes: Only 40 years behind Canada (although the 1986 series has been replaced twice since to frustrate counterfieting).

$1 CAD coin still famously has an animal (loon, hence the coin is known as a loonie).

MilesT | 04.06.26 - 3:03 p.m. | #

I'm all for animals - they don't tend to disgrace themselves further down the line!
Gutted that Tufty wasn't shortlisted.

Sadly, there seem to be a lot of Angry Nige's about these days.

Cornish Cockney | 04.06.26 - 3:32 p.m. | #

Bring back John McEnroe!

(Darwin/Stephenson top half, queen bottom half)

MilesT | 04.06.26 - 3:38 p.m. | #

La grenouille, pour ennuyer Nige.

Sprout Eater | 04.06.26 - 4:33 p.m. | #

I think they should wait and see if a national sporting hero arises from the forthcoming world cup. Scotland have gone with Scott McTominay's iconic overhead kick for their new £20 note so maybe Harry Kane or one of the other England team may produce a moment of magic worthy of currency.

Anyoldname | 04.06.26 - 7:18 p.m. | #

Dear angry nige
you should have said ‘get with the programme’. You used the word program which is something to do with those new fangled computer things.

Mr Jif | 04.06.26 - 8:37 p.m. | #

Thanks for the chart of previous people on the bank notes. I hadn’t appreciated how many different people there had been in the last 50 or so years

Brian | 05.06.26 - 7:49 a.m. | #

The Bank of England did not even put the monarch on banknotes until 1960, a few years before Churchill's death.

But I have an East African Shilling note from 1943 (one of the printed signatures was a relation) with George VI on the front. To show its wokeness, it is in English, Arabic and Gujarati, though surprisingly not Swahili. Its local animal on the back is a lion walking through the bush.

Henry | 05.06.26 - 8:30 a.m. | #

We've already had two birds - a wren and a nightingale - on our banknotes

timbo | 06.06.26 - 12:39 p.m. | #











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