Minister hints at Marbles loan if Greece changes tune
BRITAIN could lend the Elgin Marbles to the Acropolis if Greece changes its position on their rightful home, a Government minister has hinted.
Lord Parkinson, the minister for arts and heritage, suggested Athens could borrow the antiquities if it acknowledges they are owned by the British Museum.
However, Lord Frost, the former Cabinet minister, said he was “unconvinced” by the prospect of a loan, arguing the UK should permanently return the disputed treasures to Greece in “a grand gesture”.
It follows a diplomatic spat over the Marbles in which Rishi Sunak snubbed a meeting with his Greek counterpart, accusing him of trying to “grandstand” and dredge up “issues of the past”.
During a debate in the Lords yesterday, Lord Parkinson stressed that the sculptures are legally owned by the trustees of the British Museum, which is independent of the Government.
He outlined a “hypothetical scenario” in which the museum might obtain an “open individual export licence”, allowing it to send an object on loan for a maximum of three years.
But he said this would only be possible if it was guaranteed that the item in question would be returned to the UK.
Given that Greece has long maintained that the sculptures were stolen by Lord Elgin, he said it was “very difficult” to see how such a deal could be struck with Athens.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman has previously suggested that Mr Sunak does not favour a loan arrangement.
Lord Frost, who speaks Greek and has lived in Cyprus, said: “The problem with a loan is that it keeps the issue and the arguments alive. I think we should try and settle this for good.”