Glasgow rules military statue items inappropriate to return

The decision not to reinstate missing items on military statues in George Square has been confirmed by Glasgow City Council, following concerns raised over whether the figures should appear with their original weapons.

The development was first reported by Catherine Hunter, Local Democracy Reporter at Glasgow Live, which has the full story here.

The issue surfaced during a committee meeting on the wider redevelopment of George Square, part of the city’s Avenues project. Officials outlined plans to upgrade surfaces, add sensory play areas, install new lighting, create flexible event spaces and carry out restoration work on the existing monuments.

It was in this context that councillor Graham Campbell questioned the intention to return certain statues to their historical state. As quoted by Glasgow Live, he told the meeting that the statues of Colin Campbell and Sir John Moore had long stood without their swords and said he could not understand why a restoration company had commissioned replacements. He argued that “these swords were symbolic and representative of the two military figures who massacred Indians, Caribbeans and Africans in the service of the empire.”

A council officer confirmed that the contractor had begun manufacturing a replacement sword as part of what it considered normal conservation practice. Once officials became aware of this, it triggered an internal review.

As reported by Glasgow Live, the officer told councillors that “the decision was taken, for the reasons you have basically outlined, that it wouldn’t be appropriate to commission and invest any more in that type of military paraphernalia.”

The outcome is that the missing items will not return.