Real issues of note impacting rural life

Read Philip's column every week in the Western Morning News

- Philip Bowern on Wednesday

WHAT fun they must have had in the PR and marketing department of the RSPCA in coming up with suggestions for the animals that should be depicted on Britain's banknotes, now that the Bank of England has announced that historical figures are to be replaced by wildlife.

Rats, pigeons and seagulls were their first choices. You can imagine how they chortled, knowing that their ideas particularly the rats would elicit a horrified response from politicians and commentators thus sparking a controversy and guaranteeing a bit of publicity for the animal welfare charity.

Nigel Farage, never shy of milking an opportunity for a bit of media exposure himself, was among the first to react to the bank's plan to ditch the figures from history and switch to animals. He described the suggestion as “absolutely crackers,” according to the Daily Telegraph. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey was also dismissive.

There is something rather comforting about these very British rows centring, as they often do, on our traditions and heritage and involving an organisation that wants to shake things up.

The Bank of England knows, Nigel Farage knows and the RSPCA almost certainly knows that the likelihood of a rat getting pride of place on our £10 or £20 notes is roughly zero. Yet it gives us something to argue about without actually causing any serious or long-lasting disagreement.

Our banknotes will, in due course, bear the likeness of some other creature more generally acceptable to the general public a red squirrel, perhaps, or a hedgehog - and all will be well.