Puffins, dolphins and bumblebees in running to feature on new UK banknotes

The Bank of England has unveiled a shortlist of native wildlife for the next series of UK banknotes, opening a public vote on which animals will replace historical figures on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

The central bank said the redesign is primarily an anti-counterfeiting measure, with animal imagery well suited for new security technology ^[1]. The shortlist, drawn up with a panel of wildlife experts, includes mammals such as the bottlenose dolphin and red fox, birds including the Atlantic puffin and barn owl, and a combined category of amphibians, insects and fish featuring the Atlantic salmon and buff-tailed bumblebee ^[1][2].

The public can vote on the candidates from today until July 3 ^[1]. Voters may select up to two animals from each of the three categories ^[1][2]. The Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision ^[2].

The winning wildlife will replace figures including Jane Austen, Winston Churchill and Alan Turing as the central image on the notes ^[1]. The Bank said the next series will also include a portrait of the monarch and images representing the home nations ^[2].

The selection process will not simply pick the animals with the most votes. The Bank said it will choose four distinct animals across the denominations so the notes are easy to tell apart, meaning some popular choices could be excluded if they look too similar ^[1].

Victoria Cleland, the Bank's chief cashier, said she hoped the public would engage with the consultation, adding that the shortlisted animals "demonstrate the rich variety of wildlife we have to celebrate in the UK" ^[1].

The announcement drew political criticism. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the move "a silly thing to do" and Reform UK's Nigel Farage described it as "absolutely crackers" after earlier claiming the Bank wanted to replace Winston Churchill with a beaver ^[1]. No beaver appeared on the shortlist ^[1]. The RSPCA also criticized the Bank, arguing it should focus on less celebrated animals such as pigeons, rats and seagulls ^[1].

The Bank said it would be some years before the notes enter circulation because the design and testing process is lengthy ^[1].