Patrick Vernon

Social Commentator, campaigner and cultural historian

About Me

Black Current: Foxes before Mary Seacole’: Bank of England accused of ducking diversity over banknote changes

Foxes before Mary Seacole’: Bank of England accused of ducking diversity over banknote changes Plans to replace historical figures on UK banknotes with images of British wildlife have reignited debate about representation on the nation’s currency. The Bank of England has announced that wildlife will feature on the next generation of banknotes following a public consultation in […]

Hackney Thinking Spaces Returns with Her Story: A Free Creative Workshop for Young Women

Hackney Thinking Spaces Returns with Her Story: A Free Creative Workshop for Young Women Hackney Thinking Spaces is back with Her Story, a free six-week creative workshop designed for young Black and Global Majority women aged 12–19. The programme provides a safe and supportive environment where young women can explore their experiences, express themselves creatively, […]

Professor Patrick Vernon OBE On the Bank of England’s Decision to Replace Historical Figures with Wildlife Imagery

Professor Patrick Vernon OBE On the Bank of England’s Decision to Replace Historical Figures with Wildlife Imagery The Bank of England’s announcement on 11 March 2026 that the next series of banknotes will no longer feature historical figures but instead showcase UK wildlife is deeply disappointing to the thousands of people who have campaigned for […]

Windrush Justice: a symposium to remember

Windrush Justice: a symposium to remember Over the past few months I’ve attended a few events about the Windrush immigration scandal, renamed by victims and campaigners as the ‘Windrush Home Office scandal’. An event in parliament last summer highlighted lawyers’ extraordinary efforts to help victims secure compensation. King’s Legal Clinic hosted The Promise, a play that offered […]