P-05-996 To call on the Welsh Government not to remove, damage or destroy any historical symbols in Wales, Correspondence – Petitioner to Committee, 11.01.21
To whom it may concern
As a descendant of Sir Thomas Picton I call on elected members to object the planning application calling for the removal of the statue of Sir Thomas Picton in Cardiff City Hall for the following reasons.
I call for these points to be submitted as individual motions.
>The council does not support the removal of the statue of Sir Thomas Picton.
>Sir Thomas Picton is rightfully known as a Hero in Wales for his role in the Battle of Waterloo.
>Sir Thomas Picton was never convicted of abusing the 14 year old girl called, Louisa Calderon. He was accused and then found not guilty under British Law.
>The statue of Sir Thomas Picton in Cardiff was erected lawfully by the then UK Prime Minister, David Lloyd George.
>The statue is a work of architectural heritage and part of the imperial history of this great nation. Deleting this means losing a listed statue which is part of a listed building.
>Statues do not cause systemic racism.
>Racism is caused by the way that people behave and not by the presence of statues which are essentially pieces of furniture.
>A consideration for an improvement in the way that the statue is interpreted by other people with alternatives such as putting a plaque containing a balanced description of the history of Picton instead of removing the statue.
>For the council to support the following wording for a plaque to be placed on or next to the statue which resembles the recommendation of the Royal Collection Trust: "Picton’s punitive administration of Trinidad and his subjects’ enforced adherence to strict penal codes were the subject of contemporary controversy in Britain and the West Indies."He was brought to trial in London in 1806, accused of carrying out torturous practices in jails under his jurisdiction. He was later partially exonerated, on the grounds that while he had committed illegal acts not befitting his role as military governor, the right to torture prisoners was recognised under the Spanish laws still enforced at the time."
> That it is racism against white people to destroy aspects of our own history to suit a minority.
>That the council recognises that it is inevitable that in a country where the majority of people are White, there will sometimes be White rule by default due to the majority rule anyway especially when looking at history.
>That the council hopes to increase the representation of BAME and other minority groups such as LGBT and the disabled as a response to these calls.
Kind Regards,