UK government rules out permanent return of Elgin Marbles to Greece

The UK government has “no plans” to change the law to allow the Elgin Marbles to permanently return to Greece, a minister has confirmed.

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 said: “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, 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.

“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 said that 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 saying 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 that the Marbles could be returned to Greece permanently.

Labour former shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti said: “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 said: “As a former archaeologist, I’ve got some sympathy with the Greek government, who argues that the sculptures were actually bought from the Ottoman Empire and not from the Greek Empire, and so perhaps there is a strong argument for returning them.

“I’ve visited the Parthenon, and there are some quite naked bits where the sculptures ought to fit back.”

Responding, Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Hussein-Ece said: “The Greek government has been trying to negotiate the return of the Parthenon marbles for decades, and I think we need to acknowledge it's an integral part of their cultural heritage.

“A purpose-built museum has been built near the site of the Parthenon, where it was originally displayed for 2,000 years.

“So I think the noble lord sitting on the Conservative benches put his finger on it: the British Museum is stuffed full of artefacts from around the world, and in fact, I understand that there is much that's not displayed in the basements in the vaults.

“So maybe it’d be an opportunity to bring some of those out if they return the Parthenon marbles to Greece.”

Independent crossbench peer the Earl of Clancarty said there were “legal and nationalistic” reasons for wanting the return of the Marbles, but also “aesthetic” ones.

But Conservative peer Viscount Hailsham warned that it would set an “unfortunate precedent” to return the Marbles.

He said: “Given that our museums are stuffed full of artefacts acquired from abroad, frequently in rather doubtful circumstances, returning the sculptures will be a most unfortunate precedent.”

Asked whether the government could assure peers that the Bayeux Tapestry would be returned to France after the agreed time on display in the British Museum, Lady Twycross said it would be “over my dead body” that the UK tried to keep the tapestry.