LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday (21) unveiled a £1 million ‘Untold Stories’ fund to ensure the city’s diversity is reflected better in its public spaces.
Grants of up to £25,000 will be given to successful community-led organisations to create public displays, including murals and street art, to celebrate London’s diverse history.
The unveiling of the Untold Stories grants programme follows the publication of the first comprehensive audit of public sculpture and monuments across the capital - part of a national research project by Art UK, funded in part by City Hall.
The study reviewed sculptures in public spaces across London over the past 1,000 years. It found that out of almost 1,500 monuments in the capital, more than a fifth are dedicated to named men, while only four per cent are dedicated to named women.
The number of sculptures that feature animals - almost 100 - is double that of named women.
Of a total of almost 50 sculptures of named women, there are only three sculptures dedicated to named women of colour - Noor Inayat Khan and Mary Seacole, Nicola Adams. Just 14 sculptures across the entire city depict named men of colour.
According to Khan, London’s statues, street names and buildings have only shown a limited perspective on the city’s complex history, although “diversity is its greatest strength”.
“I’m determined to do everything I can to ensure our public realm presents a more complete picture of everyone who has made London the incredible city it is today. That’s why I’ve launched a £1 million fund to help the diverse communities who know our city best lead the way in celebrating our capital’s Untold Stories,” he said.
A new partnership with Bridging Histories - to create an interactive platform and enable people to learn more about the city - was also announced.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows British Steel's Scunthorpe plant, in Scunthorpe, northern England, Britain, March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. (Representational image: iStock)
FBU chief raises concern over rise in racist online posts by union members
THE FIRE Brigades Union (FBU) and other trade unions are increasingly concerned about a rise in racist and bigoted online comments by their own members and officials, according to Steve Wright, the FBU’s new general secretary, speaking to the Guardian.
Wright said internal inquiries have revealed dozens of cases involving members using racist slurs or stereotypes, often aimed at asylum seekers.
He said similar issues were reported in other unions, prompting a joint campaign to counter false narratives around immigration and race promoted by far-right groups online.
“People with far-right views are becoming more brazen in what they do on social media, and I’ve witnessed it with my own union around disciplinary cases and the rhetoric of some of our own members,” Wright said to the newspaper.
He added, “Some of our members and sometimes our reps have openly made comments which are racist and bigoted. In my time in the fire service, that has gone up.”
The FBU is planning to introduce new internal policies and wants the TUC to take action as well. A formal statement addressing far-right narratives will be launched at the union’s annual conference in Blackpool next month.
Wright cited the influence of social media and figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage as factors contributing to these incidents. “It feels like an itch that we’ve got to scratch,” he said.
The FBU barred a former official last year for allegedly endorsing racist content on X, including posts from Britain First and Tommy Robinson.
Wright also warned that the union could strike if the government moves to cut frontline fire services.