The new £50 banknote must bare a face that represents the diverse history of Britain, an MP has said.

Tom Tugendhat has rubbished cries of political correctness.

The Tonbridge and Malling MP said: "There's a real issue where some people think that putting a black or minority ethnic face on a pound note is about being politically correct.

"It's not about being politically correct it's about being historically correct and remembering that our community, the empire we once ruled and the country we've now built was not built just by people from these islands but by people who bought into what was once a British dream: the ideas of liberty, personal independence, of individual effort that really did make the UK great."

The Bank of England has already announced the new face of the £50 note will be a scientist.

Last month it revealed it had received more than 800 nominees, all of whom have a background in astronomy, biology, bio-technology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics, medical research, physics, technology or zoology.

Professor Stephen Hawking and Margaret Thatcher, who read chemistry at Oxford and worked as a scientist at food company J Lyons, are among the nominees.

However Mr Tugendhat feels the banknote is a "wonderful opportunity" to honour three Second World War heroines.

Indian-born Muslim Noor Inayat Khan and Parisian Violet Szabo were both British spies killed in German concentration camps during the Second World War.

French-born Odette Hallowes was captured and tortured by the Germans, but ultimately survived the war.

All three women received the George's Cross for their bravery and service to the special operations executive, which played a pivotal role in winning the Second World War.

Mr Tugendhat added: "When you look at the great successes of this country for example the defeat of slavery in the 1800s we rightly remember Wilberforce but we don't celebrate Equiano.

"When you look at the amazing victories of the fleet at Trafalgar we rightly remember Nelson but we forget sometimes how many of his fleet were freed slaves from the Caribbean and in fact some even from way further east than that.

"Florence Nightingale was amazing in Crimea, Mary Seacole, sadly, is too too often overlooked.

"We forget too often so many of the people who made our country great."

The Bank of England is expected to announce the face of the new polymer £50 note in the summer of 2019.