Cecil Rhodes plaque at Oxford University could be listed

The plaque in Oxford says it was erected to recognise "the great services rendered by Cecil Rhodes"

A University of Oxford plaque commemorating the British imperialist Cecil Rhodes could be given listed status by the government.

The Oriel College memorial is near the statue that sparked years of protests by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign.

A report by Historic England said the plaque did not merit legal protection.

But the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) said the culture secretary believed it to be of "special architectural and historic interest".

Rhodes, a 19th Century businessman and politician in southern Africa, was a student at Oriel and left the college £100,000 - about £12.5m in today's money.

Campaigners say he represented white supremacy and was steeped in colonialism and racism.

Thousands gathered outside Oriel College in June 2020 to protest against the Cecil Rhodes statue

In a statement DCMS said: "We are committed to retaining and explaining our heritage so people can examine all parts of Britain's history and understand our shared past.

"Having carefully considered the case, the Culture Secretary is minded to list the Cecil Rhodes Memorial Plaque in Oxford.

"She believes the plaque to be of special architectural and historic interest and there will now be a standard 21-day consultation so interested parties can make further representations. No final decision has been made."

It comes after the government questioned the advice by Historic England, which stated the bronze plaque lacked a "richness of detail" to make it of national interest.

The body also said there was a "limited depth" to Rhodes' connection with the place, with his legacy well represented by "buildings and sculptural work of greater architectural interest".

In 2021 Oriel's governing body had said it wished to remove the plaque and statue, a decision "backed" by the independent commission appointed to examine its future and Rhodes' legacy.

But it later said it would not seek to move them due to costs and "complex" planning processes.

In a statement Oriel College said: "The College has been notified by DCMS that, following a review of a previous decision, they are 'minded to' list the Cecil Rhodes plaque on King Edward Street.

"Oriel's Governing Body made a series of decisions last year upon the publication of the Rhodes Commission's report and remains committed to the actions announced at that time.

"We are proud of the progress that we have made on our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives so far and look forward to continuing this important work in the future."