Lord Ashcroft: I will take Imperial War Museum to court over Victoria Cross gallery
Lord Ashcroft has threatened to sue the trustees of the Imperial War Museum (IWM) over plans to close down his namesake gallery housing the world's largest collection of Victoria Crosses.
The billionaire businessman has repeatedly criticised the museum's decision to shut down the Lord Ashcroft Gallery, which displays his £70 million collection of 230 Victoria Cross (VC) and George Cross (GC) medals.
He has called for the IWM to delay the closure date from June 1 until Sept 30 so the gallery will remain open for children during the summer holidays and for VJ (Victory over Japan) Day on Aug 15.
He claimed the loan agreement for the medals was due to expire on Sept 30 and he would take legal action if this was not respected.
'I have written today to the trustees of the museum to ask that the full term of our agreement be respected,' Lord Ashcroft, 79, said in a post on X on Friday.
'I am hopeful that they will agree. However, if not, I firmly intend to ask the courts to intervene.
'In the meantime, I trust that the museum will not resort to any precipitation of the gallery closure by invoking a termination of our agreement. That could not possibly be in the public interest, and it will be resisted.'
The Lord Ashcroft Gallery was opened in 2010 following a £5 million donation from the life peer and the medals were loaned out for 15 years.
The museum announced earlier this year that the gallery would close to make way for new exhibits exploring post-Second World War conflicts, including the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan, which it says are 'less well represented'.
The IWM said it would display its own, far smaller, collection of VC and GC medals and that Lord Ashcroft's entire collection would be returned to him.
The Telegraph understands that Lord Ashcroft has been unable to find a suitable vault to contain the collection and has asked that the museum provide a suitable location in the meantime and has threatened legal action if they do not.
Lord Ashcroft said he met with living recipients of VC and GC medals at the gallery on Friday as part of an annual reunion for members of the Victoria Cross & George Cross Association.
He said the meeting had him 'determined' to keep the gallery open for the complete duration of his agreement with the museum.
'This morning, observing heroes who were present in the gallery marvelling at the exploits of heroes who are no longer with us made me determined that the gallery stay open for the complete duration of my agreement with IWM,' he said.
'In other words, it should close not on May 31, but on September 30. This will enable families to visit during the school holidays, and be open for visitors to London for the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on August 15.'
Lord Ashcroft has previously claimed that the museum did not inform him about its plan for the gallery before a public announcement in February.
He has questioned why he was not informed when the museum first made the decision in July last year.
The decision by the museum has previously attracted criticism from veterans and politicians, who say the sacrifice and heroism of Britain's bravest soldiers risks being forgotten.
An IWM spokesman said: 'We are aware of the comments made by Lord Ashcroft today.
'The original 1 June date was set out to enable the condition checking and security measures to take place prior to the end of the loan agreement in accordance with the Government Indemnity Scheme cover.
'Every potential extension was examined carefully, and an offer to keep the gallery opened until the 31 July has been made to Lord Ashcroft.
'Such extension of the gallery remaining open until that date, will put some strains on the work to decant within the time period as set out in the loan agreement.
'Any further extension or delay beyond the loan period will add significant expenditure to IWM and exposure for the taxpayer.'
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