British Museum part of 'covert' campaign to return Elgin Marbles to Greece, say campaigners

Sky News

11-07-2025

Former prime minister Liz Truss, historian Dr David Starkey and Sir John Redwood are among 34 signatories to a letter alleging the British Museum is part of a "covert" and "accelerating campaign" to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece.
The letter, seen exclusively by Sky News, which was sent to Sir Keir Starmer, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and trustees of British Museum, says "reform will be necessary".
It says that some British Museum "trustees may need to consider their position" and calls for an end to any negotiations to return the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures, or risk legal challenges.
In the letter, campaigners call out what they see as "covert negotiation", citing an "accelerating campaign to remove the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum".
They warn that they "reserve the right to seek legal advice on how best to protect the interests of the British public" including "pursuing an injunction to halt any ongoing or future negotiations until the beneficiaries [the British public] have been fully informed".
The letter has been organised by the right-wing campaign group Great British PAC, led by Conservative activist Claire Bullivant and former Reform deputy co-leader Ben Habib.
The British Museum Act 1963 prevents treasures like the Marbles from being legally given away by the museum.
A government spokesperson said there are "no plans to change the law that would permit a permanent move of the Parthenon Sculptures".
The spokesperson added that decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections, including loaning objects, "are a matter for the trustees of the British Museum".
It is understood the government has not been asked to consider a request related to the loan of the Elgin Marbles.
Speaking at a Westminster Hall debate on the return of the artefacts in May, culture minister Chris Bryant said: "We have no intention to change the law."
He added: "Under existing law, it would be impossible for there to be a permanent or indefinite loan."
Back in December, British Museum chair and former chancellor George Osborne told the Political Currency podcast that a deal to return the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece is "still some distance" away.
Mr Osborne has been contacted for a comment.
A spokesperson for the British Museum said: "Discussions with Greece about a Parthenon Partnership are on-going and constructive.
"We believe that this kind of long-term partnership would strike the right balance between sharing our greatest objects with audiences around the world, and maintaining the integrity of the incredible collection we hold at the museum."
The Parthenon Project, which includes supporters such as Stephen Fry and Lord Ed Vaizey on its board, campaigns for the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures and was cited in the letter as "lavishly funded by a foreign industrialist".
The lobbying group's website lists Greek plastics magnate John Lefas and family as the leaders and key financiers of the organisation, and that it aims for a "win-win solution" for both Greece and Britain.
British diplomat Lord Elgin removed the sculptures in the early 19th century while he was the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which then ruled Greece.
Lord Elgin claimed he had been given permission by the Ottoman Empire for the transfer of the sculptures and sold them to the UK government in 1816, before the marbles were passed into the trusteeship of the British Museum.
Turkey disputes that permission was ever given, and representative Dr Zeynep Boz supported Greece publicly in 2024 at the United Nations Return & Restitution Intergovernmental Committee (ICPRCP).
UK agrees deal on Bayeux Tapestry
The latest outburst over the Elgin Marbles comes as the Bayeux Tapestry loan deal with France has been agreed.
The historic depiction of the Battle of Hastings and the killing of King Harold will be back in Britain for the first time in 900 years from September 2026 to July 2027.
This diplomatic triumph could signal that the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures is possible and that there could be reasons for the signatories to seek legal action yet.