Can a non-governmental advisory group really overturn 200 years of legislation and government resistance? According to the chair of the Parthenon Project, a new lobbying group whose goal is to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, they aim to do exactly that.

The Parthenon Project is the brainchild of Greek businessman and chemical magnate John Lefas. So far, Lefas is reported to have committed £1.1million of his own money to flying British peers and MPs to Athens, then wining and dining them to secure their support for a new “Elgin Marbles Act”.

Lefas has appointed Ed (Lord) Vaizey, former minister in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, to chair this new group. Vaizey brings a deep and genuine interest in the arts, having served as a culture minister in the UK government between 2010 and 2016 - a term longer than any other culture minister in the last 12 years of Conservative government. Other confirmed supporters include the Conservative peers Lord Dobbs and Baroness Meyer, together with the journalist Sarah Baxter and the author and actor Stephen Fry, already a committed supporter of the cause.

But if this long-standing Greek saga of repatriation has taught us anything, it’s taught us to be wary of false dawns. The Parthenon Project is, after all, only an advisory group and official government resistance to returning the Parthenon Marbles – resistance enforced by Ed Vaizey himself while serving as culture minister – has been unwavering.

The challenge they face remains formidable, although there's every chance the initiative might help shift the dial of public opinion, which is already moving in favour of repatriation. A YouGov poll conducted in 2021 showed that 56% of the British public surveyed are now in favour of returning the Marbles, an impressive increase on the 37% in favour only seven years earlier (2014).

Vaizey’s public conversion to repatriating the Marbles began after he left the House of Commons. Speaking on the Hope and Dread podcast last December, he said, “It is so obvious to me that the Marbles are really woven into Greek identity that it would be a wonderful thing if they could be returned.”

Strange he didn’t wield those sentiments while serving as culture minister. But it seems after entering public office, ministers become immediately constrained by political expediency and bend under pressure to preserve the status quo. Take Boris Johnson, for example. He was a dedicated philhellene before serving as Mayor of London, after which London’s interests had to be defended. As Prime Minister his resistance to their return became absolute.

Vaizey’s change of heart wasn’t entirely due to his recent promotional sortie with Lefas to Athens, but it seems to have hardened his conviction that a “win win” deal is achievable.

“Seeing the Acropolis Museum and understanding more about the other unique artefacts that could come to London as part of the cultural exchange has already strengthened my view that a deal is within reach.”

Lord Vaizey

Inevitably, the present Government doesn’t agree. While the DCMS continues to insist there are no plans to introduce amending legislation to alter the no-returns policy enshrined in the British Museum Act, Britain’s latest Prime Minister, Liz Truss, speaking to GB News, said she doesn’t share the views of British Museum Chairman George Osborne. Osborne believes there’s a “deal to be done” with Greece if “we both approach this without a load of preconditions, without a load of red lines”.

Vaizey is interpreting this as a green light to start a “meaningful engagement” on the Parthenon issue with both the British Museum and the UK Government. Given the historic intransigence of both institutions, this looks an unlikely prospect. 

Meanwhile, if amending legislation is not brought forward by the Government itself, Lefas hopes that his growing band of parliamentary supporters will return his lavish hospitality by introducing a private members’ bill - an "Elgin Marbles Act". A debate over changes to the 1983 National Heritage Act this month may give a better indication of the Government's direction. But to us, it doesn't seem likely the Government is ready to concede major changes - if any at all. Hardly surprising at a time when the UK government is and should remain focussed on averting recession and overcoming the UK's crippling cost of living crisis. It hardly seems the right moment to debate selling off the nation’s favourite treasures.

At least for now. But if Mr Lefas does continue to invest his time and money in lobbying members of government and if popular demand for returning the Marbles does continue to increase, who knows where all this wining and dining will end.

After this was written.....

A debate about changes to the National Heritage Act, initiated by Lord Vaizey and held on 13 October in the House of Lords, received the government response we anticipated. Lord Parkinson, former arts minister in Boris Johnson's administration, expressed his concern that evolving political and moral attitudes might actually threaten UK museums. While Liz Truss' recently appointed heritage minister, Syed (Lord) Kamall, gave no ground for change: "The [1983] law exists to protect the objects in our national museums," he said. "I am afraid that for these reasons the Government have no current plans to amend this Act." Further debates about amendments to the 1983 National Heritage Act are likely as we grow nearer to the 40th anniversary of passing this Act. V&A Director Tristram Hunt has expressed a desire to see more discretion in the hands of trustees. But another former culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, has recommended more time to debate this legislation - but only so MPs can express their support for it. "I can assure you that if we let this Pandora's box to open" he said, "we will regret it for generations to come as we see those artefacts being removed to countries where they may be less safe." Clearly, Dowden has never visited the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

Photo: Lord Vaizey

Courtesy of Accesspartnership.com