A debate on GB News got very heated as Jeni Barnett fumed "you are both Philistines" when a historian claimed he wanted a statue of Queen Elizabeth in Trafalgar square.
Sadiq Khan has been accused of promoting "anti-British propaganda" after a multicultural shortlist of sculptures was selected to fill the empty fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square.
He was criticised for supposedly blocking a statue of the late Queen in favour of a competition that would be decided by a public vote.
The shortlist, selected by the independent Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, includes a rocket ship ice cream van, a black cat and a sweet potato. Last month the Labour Mayor approved £1million of taxpayers' money to fund the installations in 2026 and 2028.
Rafe Heydel-Mankoo said that he would like to see the late Queen have "her rightful place" in Trafalgar Square
GB News
The empty pedestal will host the face casts of 850 transgender people from London from September.
Speaking about the artwork historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo said that he would like to see the late Queen have "her rightful place" in Trafalgar Square.
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He told Patrick Christys on GB News: "I was originally in favour of this because I knew that it would eventually be dedicated to Her Majesty and I thought it would be a great and harmless fun way to bring art to the public.
"Instead of that, it's been that it's been captured by Khan and by also by Mayor Ken Livingstone and used as a platform for divisive identity politics. Quite frankly, I think Her Majesty deserves to be on there.
"Queen Victoria has 10 statues in London. I think Her Majesty deserves her rightful place in Trafalgar Square."
Artist Veronica Ryan wants to display "Sweet Potatoes And Yams Are Not The Same" at the plinth, a tribute to global conversations that take place in Trafalgar SquarePABarnett said: "We value everybody, Patrick. We value whatever they are. LGBT, black, white, brown, Jewish, Christian. And I think that what people have to look at, if the Queen was still alive, she would be supportive of the arts.
"Let us look at what that Plinth has done over the years. We have looked at Alison Lapper with no arms and no legs. It taught us compassion. Anthony Gormley had over two and a half thousand people standing there and it suddenly became a work of art that everybody knew about.
"It even got onto The Archers. It introduced the first British black artist. We had a great Big Blue cockerel which was the symbol of regeneration, awakening and strength.
"I could go on, but I think that not everybody is a royalist. There are nine statues of the Queen and I don't think we need another in Trafalgar Square.
"It is a place where people are subversive. It's always been a place where people talk and discuss and we are living in a multicultural society, whether people like it or not."
Jenni Barnett thought that the artwork was important
GB News
Patrick said: "Look, there is no clamour whatsoever to have a sweet potato, a Bollywood-themed ice cream, venal trans sex workers on a plinth in Trafalgar Square.
"There is however a clamour to have a statue of the Queen."
Barnett fumed: "How important is art and the expression of art to you? Not that important. Exactly. That's your problem. You are both Philistines."
Christys said: "What's more important, Jenny, is our late queen. I'm just not convinced that's art."
