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Unions fear government wants museums to 'airbrush' UK history

Unions representing museum staff warn culture secretary may provoke ‘culture war’ over portrayal of historical figures
Unions representing museum staff fear that the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, could seek to “airbrush” Britain’s colonialist and racist past at a meeting on Tuesday, a joint letter from their officials has claimed. UK history
Prospect, the FDA union and PCS union wrote that their members were “deeply worried” that the governmentwas challenging the independence of museums and galleries to provoke an unnecessary “culture war” over the portrayal of historical figures.
Dowden is expected to use a meeting on Tuesday to warn some of the country’s biggest museums against focusing on Britain’s imperial history. In a letter to the Common Sense Group of MPs, Dowden said the country should not “run from or airbrush history” and asserted that “public funds must never be used for political purposes”, the Daily Telegraph reported.
In their first unified response to the row, the unions have sent a joint letter to the National Museum Directors’ Council (NMDC), which represents the leaders of the UK’s national collections and major regional museums expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting, urging them to stand firm against government interference. UK history
“Our members are deeply worried that government policy and a seeming desire to ride roughshod over the arm’s-length principle will lead heritage bodies to row back from some of the important work that has been carried out to develop an understanding of collections and properties that form our cultural heritage,” the unions’ letter, seen by the Guardian, said.
The letter praises museum projects such as the National Trust’s recent report on slavery and the Tate’s statement, which emphasises the importance of acknowledging “the uncomfortable and inappropriate images ideas and histories” in its collections.
“In our view any backward steps in these areas will be tantamount to airbrushing history in the way that is apparently disapproved of by the secretary of state. Many current initiatives directly challenge the airbrushed history that has been presented by our cultural institutions for generations by overlooking and excluding the contributions and experiences of whole sections of society,” the letter said.
Their letter follows criticism of the government by Prof Corinne Fowler, the director of the National Trust’s colonial countryside project, who told the Guardian her work was “absolutely not political” and that politicians should not “weaponise history”, adding: “When you try to interfere with academic freedom in the name of free speech, you’re steering the country in a dangerous direction.”
In October, Dowden wrote to national museums and arm’s length heritage bodies warning that they should be consistent with the government’s position on the issue and notify the department of actions or public statements they were planning to make regarding contested heritage. The letter implied that failure to comply could put government funding for the sector at risk. UK history
Dowden is under pressure from Conservative MPs from the Common Sense Group who argue that there is a culture war raging inside the UK’s museums over how to present the country’s colonial past, accelerated by the Black Lives Matter movement.
He is expected to ask curators not to single out notorious events from the colonial era and involvement in the slave trade but instead provide a “more rounded view” of the nation’s impact in global history.
Last month Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, drew criticism after claiming there was an “attempt to impose a single, often negative narrative” of British history and criticised “town hall militants and woke worthies” who sought to remove statues at the behest of “a baying mob”.
Last year, MPs criticised the National Trust after it highlighted Winston Churchill’s home, Chartwell, in a report about properties linked to slavery and colonialism. The report noted Churchill’s opposition to Indian independence in the 1930s and the heavily criticised response to his leadership at the time of the Bengal famine of 1943. The trust defended its report as being factual and not representing a “judgment” on him. UK history
source: Rajeev Syal
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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