London, Thanasis Gavos

Arguments in favor of the reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures were debated in the British House of Lords on Thursday afternoon, despite the fact that the rapporteur was negative about such a prospect.

The Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Lord Parkinson, who represented the government, however, insisted on London’s official position on the matter.

As he said, the Sculptures were lawfully acquired by Lord Elgin and consequently they are and today legally belong to the British Museum.

Lord Parkinson also said the monument could not be fully put together as many parts of it had been lost or destroyed over the centuries.

He particularly stood by the British Museum Act which prohibits the “independent of the government” institution from permanently assigning objects from its collection. “We have no plans to change the law,” repeated the Secretary of State for Culture on behalf of the British government.

He added that “it is difficult to see how a loan can be agreed” between the British Museum and the Greek side since the Greeks insist on not recognizing British ownership of the Sculptures.

He added that in the hypothetical case that the Greek side changes its position, the export licenses in these cases allow the borrowing of exhibits for a maximum period of three years.

Lord Lexden of the Conservatives secured and opened the debate was in favor of the Sculptors staying in London, claiming that the British Museum has full legal ownership. Among other things, he criticized the Greek side for using the term “theft” in reference to Elgin’s actions, at a time when “no legal judgment has been requested”. He added that after two centuries “Elginia” is now part of the British cultural heritage.

Out of a total of eleven speakers other than the Secretary of State who took the floor, only two more defended the preservation of the Sculptures in the British Museum.

Indicatively, Lord Hannan of the Conservatives commented that “even if Prime Minister Mitsotakis could claim to be directly descended from Phidias, what about that?”. He added that if the sculptures could be returned to the Parthenon building, then there would be no debate.

Labour’s Baroness Chakraborty noted that the Conservative government is willing to change the law to send migrants to Rwanda in defiance of court orders, but is not legislating to promote cultural cooperation. He also commented that the British people, according to opinion polls, know how to be more magnanimous than the rulers.

The Lib Dems’ Lord Alan said he preferred the Athenian telling of the story of the Sculptors, and the Greens’ Baroness Bennett noted that Britain was depriving the world of the experience of seeing the Sculptors in their original setting.

Brexit pioneer Lord Frost, who caused a sensation when he initially came out in favor of reunification, said that for him it was not a legal issue, but an argument about the artistic and moral dimension of the matter. “It is a special case that requires a special solution,” he said, stressing that the Sculptures “for us British people are a very important exhibit in a museum, but for the Greeks they are part of their national identity.”

He advocated not a loan, but a “grand gesture” that only the government could do, i.e. donating the Sculptures to Athens as part of a broad bilateral cultural cooperation.

He condemned, like other speakers, the “disparaging” behavior of Rishi Sunak towards Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the cancellation of their meeting.

Conservative Lord Veasey, former culture secretary and current chairman of the Parthenon Project, intervened to say the whole thing was about “reuniting a unique work of art” and that it offered a unique opportunity for a grand gesture and to strengthen an important bilateral friendship.

Parthenon Project member and House of Cards author Lord Dobbs, also a Conservative, added that Britain would not lose anything but would benefit if it seized the opportunity to use the much talked about “soft power”.

Labour’s Lord Dabbs declared “terrified” by the “shameful” behavior of the British prime minister towards his Greek counterpart. He insisted that the reunification of the Sculptures would not create a precedent for other claims, because it is a unique work of art. He estimated that even a change in the law concerning the collection of the British Museum could be achieved.

The Lib Dems’ Lord McNally said the Sculptures were “a dilemma that has an opportunity” to show that Britain is looking to the future with magnanimity, while stressing the “unique importance” of Pheidias’ work.

Finally, representing the main opposition Labor Party, Lord Bassam focused on the possibility of lending the Sculptures, saying that if a mutually acceptable agreement is reached between the British Museum and the Greek side “why stand in the way?”.

He reiterated that Labor as a government would not be involved in a change of legislation.

He also criticized Rishi Sunak for a lack of leadership as demonstrated by the move to avoid an “adult” discussion with Kyriakos Mitsotakis.