London, May 7, 2025 — Climbing on Sir Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square will soon be classified as a criminal offence, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced today, as part of a sweeping new law designed to protect Britain’s most revered monuments.
Under the new legislation, individuals who scale the iconic statue of the wartime prime minister could face up to three months in prison and a fine of £1,000. The move comes amid mounting concern over repeated acts of vandalism and protest involving historic memorials.
Though Churchill’s statue is not officially listed as a war memorial, it will now be added to a list of protected monuments under the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill currently progressing through Parliament. The legislation also covers prominent sites such as the Cenotaph in Whitehall and the Royal Artillery Memorial in Hyde Park.
Speaking on the eve of VE Day commemorations, Cooper said: “As the country comes together to celebrate VE Day, it is only right that we ensure Winston Churchill’s statue is treated with the respect it deserves, along with the other sacred war memorials around our country.”
Churchill, who led Britain through the darkest days of the Second World War, personally chose the location for his statue during Parliament Square’s redevelopment in the 1950s. The bronze, 12-foot monument was unveiled in 1973 by his widow, Clementine, in a ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer lent his support to the new protection measures, calling Churchill “an inspiration to every prime minister that has followed him.”
“Sir Winston Churchill stands at the summit of our country’s greatest heroes,” Starmer said. “The justifiable fury that is provoked when people use his statue as a platform for their protests speaks to the deep and enduring love that all decent British people have for Sir Winston. It is the least we owe him, and the rest of the greatest generation, to make those acts criminal.”
The statue has been a frequent flashpoint during recent protest movements. In 2000, it was defaced with red paint and a turf Mohican during May Day demonstrations.
In 2014, a man was arrested after camping atop the plinth during Occupy Democracy protests, though he was later acquitted. During Extinction Rebellion’s 2020 protests, the statue was once again vandalized, prompting fines and compensation orders.
That same year, the Churchill statue was boarded up amid Black Lives Matter protests after being graffitied. Most recently, in April, trans rights activists climbed the monument to display placards following a controversial Supreme Court ruling.
The Crime and Policing Bill, which is expected to pass with cross-party support, represents a significant expansion of legal protections for Britain’s heritage. It reflects a growing governmental pushback against the targeting of historical monuments during political demonstrations.
If enacted, the legislation will send a clear message: Britain’s memorials — and the legacy of figures like Churchill — are to be respected, not used as stages for protest.
