Churchill Bust the original campaign letter. Established 2004.

Outside Parliament - to the left Brian Haw, to the right John Navin
To the left Brian Haw, to the right, yours truly, the editor of this site John Navin outside Parliament

Welcome

For all that’s been written about the controversy of the Churchill Bust, very little is written as to why it’s controversial? Throw away everything you thought you knew and read below the original campaign letter for the return of the Churchill Bust.

This site is currently under redevelopment. On completion we hope the reader will be fully enlightened

Continue reading an updated forward (2021) followed by the original forward to the website in 2004.

Or download the letter in full text only

Welcome

Do not criticize your government when out of the country. Never cease to do so when at home”    Winston Churchill

On 20th Oct 2004 this letter (below) was sent to British and American government departments. It was also randomly sent to various US news agencies, and became better known in the US than the UK.

Anti war in nature, the letter sets out a case for the symbolic return of artist Jacob Epstein’s bust of Winston Churchill. A bust gifted by Tony Blair to George W Bush on 16th July 2001.

Written very much in the moment of 2004, some of what’s said is time sensitive. But in general, it predicts the era of terrorism, refugees and mayhem that followed.

The campaign may have been tiny but it provoked enormous controversy. You’ll hardly see a mention in the mainstream press as to the reason for the controversy. However, the bust has been shifted in and out of the Oval Office ever since. Nobody seems to quite know what to do with it. Which is further complicated by this sites relaunch insistence that the US should now keep it.

The reason for the relaunch of this site is not to gain acknowledgement or an exercise in hand wringing, ‘I told you so’. The reason to come back out of the woodwork, is to convey how, Bush and Blair set a precedent in that era. A precedent that has led to open and extensive corruption in modern day British and American politics.

The reasons plus an autobiographical account of the editor with evidence detailing the campaign will be published in due course. This site is now also branching into new areas. Watch this space. But to start you might like to read the forward followed by the letter first published 2004.

Cover of Churchill Bust site from 2004-2021

Screenshot of 2004

Published forward from 2004 begins below

‘It may seem trivial and pathetic to campaign for the return of a bust. And in a way it is. But what we are campaigning for is neither trivial or pathetic.

The bust in question is a representation of Bush and Blairs arrogance. They connived to lift what is a National treasure the same way as they connived and ignored protocol in the United Nations prior to war with Iraq.

In effect the campaign seeks to give Bush and Blair their rightful place in history. It allows the general public a method and focal point of peaceful protest at this arrogance and aims to bust Blair, Bush and Bin Laden.

When the IRA launched a vicious campaign of bombing innocent people. The British didn’t invade Ireland or America which were awash with IRA sympathises. Why?

In general it seems common sense that to do so would generate more sympathises and more terrorist. With more terrorist their would have to be more mainland security. With more security more restrictions on basic human rights such as freedom of movement.  With a downgrading of human rights more opposition and more terrorist. Leading to more security and more….

Three things that happened in 1946

1) George W Bush was born

2) At Westminster College, Fulton, USA, Churchill’s famous ‘iron curtain’ speech lay the foundations of the Cold War 

3) Jacob Epstein sculptured a bust of Winston Churchill, (completed in 1947) which currently sits in the Oval Office of the White House (the bust has been in and out of the Oval Office since this letter)

This site is actively campaigning for the return of Epstein’s bust of Winston Churchill which was loaned to President George W Bush by Prime Minister Tony Blair on 16th of July 2001.

Winston Churchill, we aim to show, has been used to justify the wholesale exportation of war. The bust is seen as symbolic of Bush and Blair’s obsession with Churchill; an obsession which is manipulated for the purpose of justifying death and suffering throughout the world.

With a good few revelations this site touches on politics, art, religion, and history.

The whole site revolves around a letter which was sent to the Government Art Collection (GAC) offices in London, on the 20th of October 2004. It aims to put the case’. 

Blair likens Iraq conflict to dark days of World War two
Typical headlines of the era 2004

Letter in chronological chunks