The issue of returning the Parthenon Sculptures appears to be causing reactions in the British political scene, with Sky News reporting on a letter signed by former Prime Minister Liz Truss and 33 other prominent Britons.
The signatories of the letter, addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, accuse the British Museum of “secret negotiations” regarding the Parthenon Sculptures.
They also call on certain members of the British Museum’s board of trustees “to reconsider their position” and demand an end to negotiations for the return of the Elgin Marbles, otherwise warning of legal complications.
Letter signatories condemn “removal” of Parthenon Sculptures from British Museum
The letter also mentions an “accelerating campaign for the removal of the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum,” with the 34 signatories noting they “reserve the right to seek legal advice on the best way to protect the interests of the British public.” This includes the possibility of “applying for injunctive relief to halt any ongoing or future negotiations until the beneficiaries [the British public] are fully informed.”
According to Sky News, the initiative for the letter came from the far-right group Great British PAC, headed by Claire Bullivant and former Reform party deputy leader Ben Habib.
A spokesperson for the Starmer government told Sky News that “there are no plans to change the law that would allow the permanent transfer of the Parthenon sculptures,” adding that these decisions “are a matter for the trustees of the British Museum.”
