UK government rules out permanent return of Elgin Marbles to Greece
Ministers said the British Museum can discuss a loan, but the 1963 law still blocks permanent transfer of the 5th-century BC sculptures.
- On Tuesday, Culture Minister Baroness Twycross confirmed the UK has "no plans" to amend the British Museum Act 1963, ruling out the permanent return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece.
- Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, oversaw the sculptures' removal from Ottoman-controlled Athens in the early 1800s, an act Greece has long demanded be reversed, likening their UK presence to "cutting the Mona Lisa in half."
- The British Museum Act prohibits disposing of collection items, so British Museum chair George Osborne is negotiating potential long-term loans, citing the Bayeux Tapestry as a successful model.
- Conservative Viscount Hailsham warned returning items sets an "unfortunate precedent," while Labour's Baroness Chakrabarti questioned if the UK would accept such loans if "crown jewels had been pinched."
- Greek ministers and the British Museum continue seeking a constructive partnership, exploring loan models to return the sculptures to the Parthenon, where they were originally displayed for 2,000 years.
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42 Articles
The British government rules out changing the 1963 legislation, despite pressure in the House of Lords. The post “No” from London to the final return of the Parthenon Sculptures appeared first on in.gr.
British government backs talks on potential loan agreement but refuses to amend legislation preventing permanent return, according to Ekathimerini
The issue of the Parthenon Sculptures has caused intense debate in the House of Lords, with the government closing the door to any legislative change and MPs from almost all parties calling for a permanent return to Athens. The Sculptures are on display at the British Museum, which, with only a few exceptions, is prohibited by law from parting with objects from its collections. Culture Secretary Fiona Twycross was asked about this and replied: “…
The government does not change the 1963 law, while in the House of Lords there are increasing voices in favor of reunification
The Independent
UK government rules out permanent return of Elgin Marbles to Greece
There are ‘no plans’ to change the law to allow the sculptures to be given back
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