Critics, though, have described the decision as “bonkers” or “not their finest hour”, lamenting the removal of iconic figures like Churchill in favour of creatures such as otters or badgers.

That's a really silly take, but predictable, designs have always rotated every 10-15 years or so. The Churchill note has only been around since 2016 for instance so is coming up due to be replaced. Just that this time it'll be nature instead of another historic figure, if it turns out they're better to prevent counterfeiting then that's the obvious choice since that's the reason they're rotated. No doubt the usual not-too-bright suspects won't understand any of that and call it "woke" I'm sure.