Add a plaque to all statues deemed racist around Manchester · petition

What the petition asks

We would like the government (or even just Manchester City Council) to add plaques to all statues around manchester that are deemed racist to inform people about the unspoken side of the pasts of these historical figures.

Adding a plaque would be the perfect compromise, as it allows the statue to remain standing while also informing people of how certain historical figures may be deemed racist or problematic. A lot of protests are demanding the statues be removed, but in some lights removing the statues is just as bad as pretending that these people and their prejudices never existed. Adding a plaque would allow Britain to admit to the flaws in our history.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

We can't accept your petition because the UK Government aren't responsible for the issue you raise.

Decisions about individual historical monuments and statues are a matter for the local authority in which they are located and private landowners, not the UK Government or Parliament.

If you want to raise concerns about a particular historical monument or statue you should contact your local authority about this.

The Local Government Association has published an advice note to help councils work to ensure all sections of the community feel heard by decision-makers and each other: https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/community-safety/statues

We have published the following petitions, which you might like to sign:

Encourage and support the removal of memorials that glorify the slave trade: Encourage and support the removal of memorials that glorify the slave trade

Create an advisory board to review public statues and decide on their removal: Create an advisory board to review public statues and decide on their removal

Timeline

28 Jul 2020	Petition opened for signatures
28 Sep 2020	Rejected by the Petitions Committee