British PM Boris Johnson objects to the renaming Winston of the churchill Memorial trust.

It is completely absurd, misguided and wrong to airbrush his giant achievements.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has criticized the decision of a charity established to honour Winston Churchill to “airbrush” the wartime leader’s achievements in a website rebrand.

The Churchill Fellowship insisted it was not “disowning” the former prime minister by changing its name from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, but trying to make it less “confusing.”

A website featuring the updated name and logo was launched earlier this year, but a tribute to Churchill had been scaled back, along with a list of his achievements and a biography. All images of him had vanished.

It has fuelled suspicion that the charity is distancing itself from Churchill as public debate continues to rage over his legacy, which critics claim is tarnished by racist remarks.

On Thursday, the Prime Minister — who has written a biography of Churchill — expressed concern. His official spokesman said: “The Prime Minister believes that Winston Churchill was a hero who helped save this country and the whole of Europe from a fascist and a racist tyranny by leading the defeat of Nazism.

“It is completely absurd, misguided and wrong to airbrush his giant achievements and service to this country. The trust should think again.”

Sir Nicholas Soames, Churchill’s grandson, defended the charity, which awards grants to British people pursuing social and community causes. He said that the row reflected “pathetic culture wars that are idiotic,” adding: “The Churchill family have total, 100 per cent confidence in the fellowship. It gives fellowships to people in this country who would never have a chance to travel other than through a scholarship and it enables them to travel and study a specific thing in their lives. It is the living memorial to Winston Churchill.”

The charity is understood to have been planning to change its name since 2016 and decided to rebrand as the Churchill Fellowship in 2019.

A spokesman on Thursday said that the decision was “absolutely nothing to do with controversy in the public space.”

It came after several sources at the charity told The Sun that a “Leftie woke” agenda was being pursued by its chief executive, Julia Weston, who took over in 2015.