Wildlife on Future Banknotes: Why the Bank of England’s 18-Animal Plan Is Still Dividing Opinion
Wildlife on future banknotes is no longer just an idea being discussed by the Bank of England. The central bank has already chosen nature, with a particular focus on native wildlife, as the theme for the next series of £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. What remains undecided, as of 28 August 2026, is which four animals will become the main images.
That distinction is important because the original debate began in March as though the Bank had simply decided to remove Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner and Alan Turing and replace them immediately with animals. In reality, the redesign is a multi-year project. The current notes remain in circulation, the next series is still being developed, and the final four animals have not yet been announced.
The Bank completed a second public consultation on wildlife on future banknotes between 3 June and 3 July 2026. Eighteen native species were shortlisted. Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final choice after considering the public response, design requirements, security needs and the need to represent different environments across the UK. The Bank says it will announce the outcome by the end of 2026.
That means the story has moved beyond the early political backlash. The key questions now are which animals will be chosen, why wildlife was selected in the first place, how anti-counterfeiting technology influenced the decision and whether replacing historical figures changes what British money says about national identity.
Wildlife on future banknotes was chosen after more than 44,000 responses
The decision did not begin with a list of animals. In July 2025, the Bank of England asked the public what broad theme should appear on the next generation of banknotes.
The options included notable historical figures, nature, architecture and landmarks, arts, culture and sport, innovation, and noteworthy milestones. More than 44,000 responses were received through the online consultation, post, email and public submissions.
Nature emerged as the most popular theme. Sixty per cent of respondents selected it as one of their preferred choices. Architecture and landmarks followed at 56%, while notable historical figures received 38%. Arts, culture and sport reached 30%, innovation 23% and noteworthy milestones 19%.
Those figures are sometimes described as a YouGov poll, but that is not accurate. They came from the Bank of England’s own public consultation and were followed by focus groups commissioned by the Bank.
In March 2026, the Bank formally announced that nature would be the theme and that wildlife would be the main focus. This was the decisive step that turned wildlife on future banknotes from one option among several into the direction for the next series.
Bank of England’s March 2026 announcement
The Bank said wildlife performed well against six design criteria. The theme needed to symbolise the UK, resonate with the public, avoid unnecessary division, remain relevant for many years, work effectively with security features and comply with legal obligations including the public sector equality duty.
The 18 animals that made the official shortlist
By June, wildlife on future banknotes had entered a more specific stage. A panel of experts helped the Bank create a shortlist of 18 animals native to the UK.
The public was allowed to select up to two animals from each of three categories during the consultation that ran from 3 June until 3 July.
| Mammals | Birds | Amphibians, insects and fish |
|---|---|---|
| Bottlenose dolphin | Atlantic puffin | Atlantic salmon |
| Brown hare | Barn owl | Basking shark |
| European hedgehog | Common kingfisher | Buff-tailed bumblebee |
| Grey seal | Eurasian curlew | Common frog |
| Pine marten | Great spotted woodpecker | Emperor dragonfly |
| Red fox | White-tailed eagle | Marsh fritillary butterfly |
The Bank has been clear that only animals on this shortlist can become the central images on the next series. It is not accepting alternative nominations for the main designs.
See the official 18-animal shortlist
That clarification matters because some of the most colourful public discussion around wildlife on future banknotes involved animals that were never official candidates.
The RSPCA, for example, argued that overlooked species such as pigeons, rats, gulls and badgers deserved greater recognition. The charity even produced concept imagery to encourage discussion. None of those species appears on the Bank’s final 18-animal shortlist.
Why the four most popular animals may not automatically win
The consultation was not a straightforward national vote in which the four species with the highest number of selections were guaranteed a banknote.
The Bank says each denomination must remain easy to identify. The four chosen animals should also be visually distinct and represent different environments from across the United Kingdom.
That means wildlife on future banknotes will be selected through a combination of public preference and practical design judgment.
Andrew Bailey, as Governor of the Bank of England, has the final decision. The Banknote Imagery Advisory Group and wildlife experts are part of the process, but the Governor ultimately approves the imagery.
For wildlife on future banknotes, the Bank has explicitly warned that the four animals receiving the most responses may not necessarily become the four central images.
For example, if the public heavily favoured several animals with very similar shapes, habitats or visual characteristics, the Bank could decide that a more varied combination would work better across the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.
The final result of the wildlife on future banknotes consultation is expected to be announced by the end of 2026.
Churchill, Austen, Turner and Turing are not disappearing overnight
Much of the political reaction focused on the idea that famous historical figures were being “removed” from British money.
The current Bank of England series features Winston Churchill on the £5 note, Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20 and Alan Turing on the £50. The first note in the present Series G, the polymer £5, entered circulation in 2016. It was followed by the £10 in 2017, £20 in 2020 and £50 in 2021.
The Bank has used historical figures on banknotes since 1970. Moving to wildlife on future banknotes therefore represents a genuine break from more than half a century of design tradition.
But it does not mean the current notes suddenly become invalid when the new imagery is announced. The next series will take years to design, test and print. A separate process would be needed before existing notes were eventually withdrawn.
The monarch will also remain. The Bank has confirmed that the next series will continue to feature a portrait of the King, while representation of the Home Nations will remain an important part of the design.
So the change is better understood as replacing the historical figure used as a central thematic image with wildlife, not removing human imagery altogether.
Why Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage and Ed Davey objected
The move produced an unusual moment of agreement across parts of British politics.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argued that taking Churchill off the £5 note amounted to erasing history and said more historical figures, not fewer, should appear on banknotes. She also suggested Margaret Thatcher as a future candidate.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage attacked the wildlife decision as politically correct and mocked the idea of replacing prominent historical figures with animals.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also criticised the decision. He argued that Churchill’s role in defeating fascism should continue to be celebrated, particularly during a period of war and insecurity in Europe.
The backlash helped turn wildlife on future banknotes into a wider cultural argument rather than a narrow design announcement.
However, the Bank of England is operationally independent from the government on banknote design. The Treasury confirmed in Parliament that it was not consulted on the imagery decision and that the Bank is entirely responsible for the design, production, issue and distribution of its notes.
Read Parliament’s answer on who controls banknote design
That makes it inaccurate to describe wildlife on future banknotes as a government policy imposed by ministers.
Public consultation results complicate the political backlash
The political criticism was loud, but the Bank’s consultation suggests historical figures were not the public’s first choice when people were offered several broad themes.
Nature received support from 60% of respondents, compared with 38% for notable historical figures.
Those numbers should still be interpreted carefully. The consultation was not a representative opinion poll of the entire UK population. It was an open public consultation with more than 44,000 responses, meaning people chose to participate.
Even so, the results undermine the idea that wildlife on future banknotes was selected without public input.
The Bank also commissioned focus groups after the consultation, and nature was viewed most positively there as well.
This does not settle the cultural argument. People can support nature while also believing Churchill, Austen, Turner or Turing belong on British currency. But it shows that the redesign arose from a formal consultation process rather than from a purely internal decision to erase historical figures.
Security is the main reason a new series is being designed
The most important part of the story is easy to lose amid the political reaction.
For wildlife on future banknotes, the main driver behind a new series is not symbolism. It is counterfeit resilience.
Banknotes are periodically redesigned so that security technology can be updated. The visual theme needs to work alongside features that help members of the public and businesses identify genuine notes.
The Bank says animal imagery is particularly useful because recognisable shapes and movements can be incorporated into authentication features. Wildlife on future banknotes therefore gives designers a large visual vocabulary for security features without relying only on portraits.
The original article suggested specific animated effects such as flapping wings or running animals. The Bank has not confirmed those particular animations. What it has said is that animals offer recognisable forms and movements that can work effectively with security technology.
That is an important correction. The security concept is confirmed; the exact visual effects are not yet final.
What will stay the same on the new banknotes
Although wildlife on future banknotes will make the next series look different, several familiar elements are expected to remain.
The Bank says the overall sizes and colour schemes of the four denominations will not change. The portrait of the monarch will remain. The notes will continue to represent the Home Nations, and accessibility will be part of the design and testing process.
The central images will be supported by additional nature-related elements, potentially including habitats and other wildlife details.
In designing wildlife on future banknotes, the team must also make the denominations easy to distinguish from one another. That requirement is one reason the Bank may prefer four animals that look and move differently rather than simply choosing the four most popular species.
Current Bank of England notes already contain multiple security features, including transparent windows, changing foil details, ultraviolet features and raised print. The next series will be designed to increase resilience further.
Readers looking for wider context on the financial system can also explore The News Ink’s economy coverage.
Explore The News Ink Economy guide
Cash still matters even as digital payments grow
Cards and smartphones have reduced cash use, but the Bank says cash remains the preferred payment method for about one in seven people and is used by many more. The value of cash in circulation reached £91.5 billion at the end of February 2026.
That helps explain why wildlife on future banknotes matters beyond design. Notes remain part of the UK’s financial infrastructure, particularly for people who rely on cash for budgeting or access.
Read The News Ink Personal Finance guide
A redesign therefore has to balance cultural symbolism, anti-counterfeiting technology, accessibility, durability and practical use.
Wildlife on future banknotes is also a debate about national identity
British banknotes are not only payment instruments. Their historical portraits have also acted as compact statements about national achievement: Churchill for wartime leadership, Austen for literature, Turner for art and Turing for mathematics, computing and codebreaking.
Supporters of wildlife on future banknotes argue that nature belongs to national identity too. Puffins, hedgehogs, salmon, seals, foxes and bumblebees connect money to landscapes and ecosystems across the UK. Critics answer that animals cannot provide the same direct link to individual achievement and historical memory.
That disagreement explains why a technical redesign became a culture debate. The argument is really about what Britain chooses to celebrate on an object used by millions of people.
The RSPCA took a different approach. Rather than opposing animals on notes, it argued that the project could draw attention to wildlife conservation and to species that are often ignored or disliked.
Read the RSPCA’s response to the wildlife shortlist
The change does not cover every banknote used in the UK
The debate over wildlife on future banknotes concerns Bank of England notes specifically.
Commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own banknotes under separate arrangements, and some already use wildlife and landscape imagery.
That context matters because animals on British currency are not unprecedented. The change applies to the next £5, £10, £20 and £50 Bank of England series, not to every note circulating across the United Kingdom.
It also means political claims about replacing “all British banknotes” with wildlife would overstate the scope of the decision.
What happens next after the consultation closed
The biggest update to the original article is that the public consultation is no longer upcoming.
It has already happened.
Between 3 June and 3 July 2026, people were invited to choose from the 18 shortlisted species. The consultation is now closed, and the Bank is evaluating the responses.
The next formal milestone for wildlife on future banknotes is the announcement of the selected animals. The Bank says that will happen by the end of 2026.
After that, the project will still be far from finished.
Designers will have to develop the detailed artwork, integrate new security technology, assess accessibility, test durability, prepare production and ensure the notes can be authenticated reliably by the public and businesses.
The Bank repeatedly describes the process as multi-year. There is no basis for telling consumers that Churchill, Austen, Turner and Turing will disappear from wallets in the immediate future.
What the Bank has decided and what remains undecided
The current position can be summarised clearly.
| Question | Status as of 28 August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Will the next Bank of England series use nature? | Yes |
| Will wildlife be the main theme? | Yes |
| Will historical figures remain the central thematic images? | No |
| Will the monarch remain on the notes? | Yes |
| Has an 18-animal shortlist been created? | Yes |
| Has the second public consultation finished? | Yes, it closed 3 July |
| Have the final four animals been announced? | No |
| Who makes the final decision? | Governor Andrew Bailey |
| When is the outcome expected? | By the end of 2026 |
| Will the new notes appear immediately? | No, launch is years away |
This is the most important distinction for readers following wildlife on future banknotes. The theme is settled, but the final species and detailed designs are not.
The bigger lesson from the banknote backlash
The debate over wildlife on future banknotes shows how an apparently technical redesign can quickly become a national argument about history, identity and institutional decision-making.
The Bank’s rationale is practical as well as symbolic. It needs a new series with stronger anti-counterfeiting protection. It consulted the public, received more than 44,000 responses, chose the most popular broad theme and then created an 18-species shortlist with expert input.
Critics are still entitled to argue that historical figures carry cultural value that wildlife cannot replace. The shift ends a design tradition that has lasted since 1970, and it is reasonable for people to debate what should appear on national currency.
But several early claims now need updating. The wildlife theme is no longer merely a proposal. The second consultation is already closed. Rats, pigeons and Cuthbert the Caterpillar are not official candidates. The four winning animals have not yet been announced. And the current notes will continue circulating while the next series is designed.
Wildlife on future banknotes is therefore entering its most important phase. By the end of 2026, the debate should move from hypothetical animals and political jokes to four actual species chosen for the next generation of Bank of England money.
Until then, wildlife on future banknotes remains undecided at the species level: the hedgehog, puffin, barn owl, dolphin, salmon, bumblebee and 12 other shortlisted animals are still in contention, while Churchill, Austen, Turner and Turing remain firmly in British wallets.
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