The UK government has “no plans” to change the law to allow the Elgin Marbles to permanently return to Greece, a minister has confirmed, reports BritPanorama.
Greece has long demanded the Marbles be given back and maintains that they were illegally removed from Athens’ Acropolis during a period of foreign occupation by the Ottoman Empire.
The sculptures are on display at the British Museum, which is forbidden by law from giving away any of its artefacts, with few exceptions.
The chair of the British Museum, former Tory chancellor George Osborne, is instead negotiating the possibility of a long-term loan of the sculptures in exchange for rolling exhibitions of famous artworks.
Culture minister Baroness Twycross told the House of Lords that the government welcomes discussions between the British Museum and Greek ministers on a potential loan of the Parthenon sculptures.
Asked about the Marbles on Tuesday, Lady Twycross said: “The government doesn’t have any plans to change the law or introduce legislation to permit the Parthenon sculptures to be returned permanently.”
“However, we do recognise, as the British Museum does, the strength of feeling on this and support it in its stating that it would consider a loan request for the sculpture, should that be agreeable.”
She noted that the British Museum Act 1963 prevents a museum from disposing of items in its collection, with limited exceptions for duplicates and objects not fit for retention, along with specific exemptions created in legislation for objects taken during the Nazi era and for human remains under 1,000 years old.
“We really welcome the fact that the British Museum is in discussion with Greek ministers seeking a constructive partnership,” she added.
Additionally, “the director of the museum has alluded to the Bayeux Tapestry loan as a potential model, which is an interesting idea, and clearly the loan of the tapestry is proving a huge success story.”
The Marbles are named for Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, who oversaw their removal from Ottoman Greece in the early 1800s. He claimed he removed them with the permission of Ottoman officials who controlled Athens at the time.
In recent years, many have urged the return of the Marbles, with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stating that having them in the UK is like “cutting the Mona Lisa in half.”
Several peers have now called on the government to change the British Museum Act so the Marbles could be returned to Greece permanently.
Labour former shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti argued: “If some of the crown jewels had been pinched, I don’t think that we would be so glad of a loan agreement.”
Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb expressed sympathy with the Greek government, stating that the sculptures were bought from the Ottoman Empire and not from the Greek Empire, suggesting there may be a strong argument for their return.
“I’ve visited the Parthenon, and there are some quite naked bits where the sculptures ought to fit back,” she added.
In response, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Hussein-Ece noted that the Greek government has been trying to negotiate the return of the Parthenon Marbles for decades and emphasized the integral part they play in Greek cultural heritage. “A purpose-built museum has been built near the site of the Parthenon, where it was originally displayed for 2,000 years,” she said.
Independent crossbench peer the Earl of Clancarty highlighted “legal and nationalistic” reasons for wanting the Marbles to return, but also acknowledged the “aesthetic” considerations.
Conversely, Conservative peer Viscount Hailsham cautioned that returning the Marbles would set an “unfortunate precedent,” noting the significance of many artefacts in UK museums having been acquired in dubious circumstances.
When asked whether the government could assure peers that the Bayeux Tapestry would be returned to France after its display at the British Museum, Lady Twycross stated, “It would be over my dead body” that the UK tried to keep the tapestry.
