Removal of Oxford's Cecil Rhodes statue on hold over costs

An Oxford University college will not "begin the legal process" to remove a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes from its building.

Calls to remove the memorial at Oriel College, in Oxford were reignited after a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was torn down in Bristol.

A commission set up to examine the figure's future said the "majority" of members supported moving the figure.

But Oriel College said it would not seek to move it yet due to the costs.

Campaigners want the statue to be removed because they say Rhodes, a 19th Century businessman and politician in southern Africa, represented white supremacy and was steeped in colonialism and racism.

In a statement, the college said its governing body the independent commission had "backed the college's original wish to remove the statue".

However, it added after considering "regulatory and financial challenges" it had decided not to begin the "legal process" to move it.

The college said the "challenges and costs" of removing the stature "in terms of heritage and planning consent" could "run into years with no certainty of outcome".

"In light of the considerable obstacles to removal, Oriel's governing body has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation of the memorials," a statement added.

"Instead, it is determined to focus its time and resources on delivering the report's recommendations around the contextualisation of the college's relationship with Rhodes, as well as improving educational equality, diversity and inclusion amongst its student cohort and academic community."

The college said it would accept a "number of the report's recommendations immediately".

Changes implement by the college include the role creation of a tutor for "equality, diversity and inclusion" and additional training "for academic and non-academic staff in race awareness".

Lord Mendoza, provost of Oriel College, said the college was "fully aware of the impact our decision is likely to have in the UK and further afield".

"We understand this nuanced conclusion will be disappointing to some, but we are now focused on the delivery of practical actions aimed at improving outreach and the day-to-day experience of BME students," he added.

"We are looking forward to working with Oxford City Council on a range of options for contextualisation."

The statue sits above a doorway on the front of the college's Rhodes Building, which faces Oxford's High Street.

The commission was set up after thousands of people protested in High Street to demand the statue's removal in June last year.

It led to the governors of Oriel College voting to take the Grade II-listed figure down and the King Edward Street plaque to Rhodes, reversing the decision they made in 2016.

A report had been due to be published in January but the commission delayed it until early spring due to a "considerable volume of submissions", but was then delayed further.

It held a series of "evidence sessions" and was also tasked with "considering the issue of the Rhodes legacy" and "themes and issues relating to the history of the college, its donors and memorials".

Any decision to move the statue would require planning permission from Oxford City Council.

The Rhodes Must Fall campaign began in South Africa, where a Rhodes statue was removed, and was adopted in Oxford by campaigners who argued his views were incompatible with an "inclusive culture" at the university.

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