The Critic understands that George Osborne, Chairman of the British Museum, has agreed to give the Elgin Marbles to Greece.
The move is unlikely to be blocked by the Government since the Prime Minister has expressed several times his commitment “not to stand in the way” of a deal between the Greek government and the British Museum.
In order to give the Marbles to Athens permanently, the government would need to amend the British Museum Act 1963 which prevents the deaccession of items. But it is thought that Osborne’s plan to give them away on loan would side-step this requirement.
Since the Greek government claims legal ownership of the sculptures, it is extremely unlikely that they would ever return to Britain.
Although even the 1963 Act is no longer set in stone. Legislation passed by the Conservatives in 2022 meant that it became possible to side-step the British Museum Act. The Charities Act enabled museums to dispose of artefacts if there was a “moral obligation” for doing so, leaving another route to the handover, if the legality of a non-returnable loan is challenged.
The sculptures were lawfully acquired by Lord Elgin from the Ottomans in 1801, bought by the British Nation in 1816, and now, it seems, given to the Greek government at no cost. How’s that for political currency? Perhaps they were just too large to carry out of the museum in a briefcase.
