Greece’s hopes that the election of the British Labor Party leader as Prime Minister would lead to the return of the stolen Parthenon Marbles housed in the British Museum for 200 years took a hit when he said he supported only a loan.
Before he took the office, Keir Starmer had been receptive to the idea of Greece getting back the marbles taken off the Parthenon early in the 19th Century by Scottish diplomat Lord Elgin, who said he had the permission of the ruling Ottomans, who didn’t own them.
But now – echoing museum officials and previous British governments – he said the outright return to Greece is against a 1963 law that prohibits sending back stolen artifacts, including to former British colonies.
He controls the Parliament, however, and could change the law but made no mention of that and the new Culture Minister Chris Bryant said it’s up to the museum – which has steadfastly refused anything except a loan – to decide the fate of the marbles.
Read more at thenationalherald.com
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