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Bank of England spent £50,000 on branding change to be ‘more inclusive’ of Wales and others

06 Apr 2022 2 minute read
The old Bank of England logo on the left and the new on the right

The Bank of England spent £50,000 changing its brand, including a logo change from the flag of England to the Union Jack to be “more inclusive” of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Bank, which recently appointed Welshman Huw Pill as its Chief Economist, changed Britannia’s shield from the flag of St George to that of the union flag last month.

A Freedom of Information request found that the bank spent nearly £50,000 on the entire rebrand. Other elements of the rebrand beyond the logo included a new font.

The bank’s website says that they have “made our Britannia symbol more inclusive”.

“Britannia is the female personification of the British Isles. She has been our symbol since we were founded in 1694. We wanted a new Britannia that reflects our current mission and values.”

The bank was formed back in 1694 – when Wales was legally part of England and Scotland was yet to join the UK.

Wales is the only UK nation not represented in the design of the union flag, which was adopted in 1801 to incorporate elements of the flags of England, Scotland and the red saltire of St Patrick to represent Ireland.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said: “The Bank of England has been around for hundreds of years, but it embraces advances in digital technology.

“These advances have brought many benefits. One is that it brings us closer to the public we serve. We know this means we have to explain what we do and why.

“How we communicate is part of how we carry out our mission. We intend to keep trying to make our communications more inclusive and accessible for everyone.”

They have also removed the large pile of money sitting by her feet, and she faces the viewer rather than offering her olive branch of peace to unknown individuals to her left.


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Grayham Jones
1 year ago

Wales must have it’s own Banks

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago

£50,000 on what? More inclusive lol. Firstly, it’s in the name. Bank of England. And secondly, the Union Flag doesn’t represent Wales. Best they go back to school and do extra history lessons. You’d think experts in finance could put 2 + 2 together. 🤣 🇬🇧 = #England #Scotland #Ireland. #WelshNot 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 #UnionistsRThick

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago
Reply to  Y Cymro

Also, to add further. The English propaganda still perpetuated the reason Wales never featured in the Union Flag because it was legally part of England, baring in mind in today’s climate of Russia’s would-be annexation of Ukraine in which hundreds of civilians have died, a tad insensitive to the people of Wales. And where Ukraine was partially annexed by Russia with its invasion of Crimea, Wales was annexed fully by England with thousands of innocent civilians being murdered. In fact we had is worse than Ukraine. No sanctions on England by the world. No aid and weaponry sent to the… Read more »

The Original Mark
The Original Mark
1 year ago

Was this idea of Andrew £500,000 a year Bailey, who thinks working people shouldn’t ask for a pay rise?

Richard Jenkins
Richard Jenkins
1 year ago

Too late old c**k! Too late! The ‘Union’ based on imperialism is dying & dysfunctional. Cymru needs our own central bank in order to control our own fiat currency.

Kurt C
Kurt C
1 year ago

They wasted money, as a complete failure. Their name and flag choice insults us. There is nothing they have done to include us at all.

Andy Williams
1 year ago
Reply to  Kurt C

Thank god it’s not, I do not want my nation’s Y Ddraig Goch to be on the butchers apron.

Tabor
Tabor
1 year ago

Why is the Red Dragon of Wales not In the middle of all the so called Union Jack ???

Fi yn unig
Fi yn unig
1 year ago

I had no problem with the name ‘Bank of England’ or the original logo and this change doesn’t make me feel more or less ‘included’ but what I do find potentially sinister about it is stamping a Union flag on it and still calling it ‘England’. Moving forward, is the next move to make us all feel ‘included’ one Parliament and one football team under THIS flag in the name of England?

Glwyo
Glwyo
1 year ago
Reply to  Fi yn unig

One cricket team perhaps

GW Atkinson
GW Atkinson
1 year ago

Yes this is what I needed to support my countries occupation and not want independence anymore. Jesus christ, what do they take us for?

Erisian
Erisian
1 year ago
Reply to  GW Atkinson

You should at least hold out for a mess of pottage!

Erisian
Erisian
1 year ago

And that is inclusive because …?
Unless she also changed her name from Britania to Eleri or Myfanwy I’m not buying it

It’s just going to be a waste of money, as they’ll have to change it back when the other three nations have come to their senses and withdrawn from the union

Mawkernewek
1 year ago

“Wales is the only UK nation not represented in the design of the union flag”

Not true. Cornwall isn’t represented either.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
1 year ago
Reply to  Mawkernewek

And why Cernyw should break its Lloegr chains and unite with the Kingdoms of Cymru in our own true Celtic Union of Equals

Last edited 1 year ago by Y Cymro
Gareth Wyn Jones
Gareth Wyn Jones
1 year ago

Cymru has NEVER been legally part of England

Llinos
Llinos
1 year ago

I am not seeing what makes that English bank inclusive to Cymru. A different shaped shield?

Llefain
Llefain
1 year ago

I think this new design actually makes it worse. It equates England with the “UK” for a start with all that brings with it, including the loss of an English identity to the all consuming “Britishness” that also puts them over all of us by the back door. Then it rubs in Wales’ face that we are not on that flag, not included, not worth acknowledging the existence of, have no impact, and even worse exclaims “you were part of England when the flag was made” as those who defend that exclusion as if it justifies everything like to say… Read more »

Glwyo
Glwyo
1 year ago

Silly season is upon us

defaid
defaid
1 year ago

Thete’s no inclusivity in the bank’s name, is there?

That flag doesn’t represent Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Sure it has shapes and colours identical to those found on three countries’ flags, but that’s as far as it goes now.

I challenge the Bank to produce a single person who identifies as Welsh, N Irish or Scottish and who also believes the union flag is theirs.

Domestically and globally, for at least two decades it’s been the de facto flag of England.

Mab meirion
Mab meirion
1 year ago

This is great. Bring Wales and the rest of the British isles close to each other

The original mark
The original mark
1 year ago
Reply to  Mab meirion

🤣🤣🤣

Stub
1 year ago

They are taking the fosters aren’t they? The “union jack” just runs in how little regard Westminster and London have for Wales.

Put a dragon on it and I might change my mind.

Jonathan Marsh
Jonathan Marsh
1 year ago

If I remember correctly, the image on British coins of that paramilitary lady, Britannia, was originally used by the Romans on THEIR coinage.
Never forget that images on coins offer the opportunity to spread a bit of advertising and propaganda.
In this case it was the Roman Empire telling their World that they had conquered Britain.
Which they actually hadn’t!
Britannia represents the conquered island.

Andy Williams
1 year ago

Get lost B of E, the only nation of the British Isles, including Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, that is unable to print it’s own pound sterling. There again, since Brexit, I couldn’t care less for the pound, re-joining the EU, and using the Euro, is more important to me.

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