alt Hacker NewsIt was erected surreptitiously in the dead of night. That does not imply state approval.
As for who paid for it, I don't know, possibly the extremely successful and wealthy artist who created it.
If you have any evidence to the contrary, by all means present it.
It not being taken down yet implies state approval (4 days now?). It's on Pall Mall ffs, right near a statue of a King
It's not like the wealthiest city in the UK is lacking in resources to do something about it.