Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals to remove controversial statues
The statues outside Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London will be removed, it was decided this evening.
The statues, which feature Sir Robert Clayton and Sir Thomas Guy, are part of the arts and heritage collection owned by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.
Clayton, whose statue is outside St Thomas’ Hospital, was a powerful member of the Royal African Company which was responsible for trafficking more slaves from Africa than any other body at the height of the slave trade.
The statue of Guy, who founded Guy’s Hospital, is featured in front of the south entrance. Most of his fortune came from the South Seas Company, which sold enslaved people from the Spanish colonies and transported them to Central America and the Caribbean.
The move follows in the wake of protests by anti-racism campaigners and the removal of similar statues elsewhere in London. Mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to reevaluate the presence of all statues and street names in London that are affiliated with problematic figures.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement:
“Like many organisations in Britain, we know that we have a duty to address the legacy of colonialism, racism and slavery in our work. We absolutely recognise the public hurt and anger that is generated by the symbolism of public statues of historical figures associated with the slave trade in some way.”
“We see the pervasive and harmful effects of structural racism every day through our work. Black people have worse health outcomes, and this inequality is one of many ways racism permeates our society. We are fully committed to tackling racism, discrimination and inequality, and we stand in solidarity with our patients, students, colleagues and communities.”
However the hospitals will not be changing their names, the trust said.
Due to the age and listed nature of the statues, it added that the removal may take “a few weeks”.
Statues glorifying slave traders and colonialists have come into sharp focus in recent days, as part of a broader movement inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that started in the United States following the death of George Floyd.
Organisers of the Black Lives Matter movement in London today opted to cancel a planned protest in Hyde Park on Saturday, warning that “many hate groups” were threatening the safety of attendees.