Aysu Biçer
11 July 2025•Update: 11 July 2025
By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - A group of prominent British political figures and commentators, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss and historian David Starkey, has warned of possible legal action to prevent the UK government and British Museum from pursuing the return of the Elgin Marbles to Greece.
In a letter seen by Sky News on Friday, 34 signatories allege that the museum is engaged in a “covert” and “accelerating campaign” to remove the sculptures — also known as the Parthenon Sculptures — from its collection.
The letter has been sent to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and trustees of the British Museum.
Campaigners argue that “reform will be necessary” and suggest some trustees “may need to consider their position” if discussions continue.
They are calling for an immediate end to any negotiations and warn of legal consequences if the process continues without full public transparency.
The letter claims the museum has entered into “covert negotiation,” pointing to what it describes as an “accelerating campaign to remove the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum.”
The signatories add that they “reserve the right to seek legal advice on how best to protect the interests of the British public”, including “pursuing an injunction to halt any ongoing or future negotiations until the beneficiaries [the British public] have been fully informed.”
The campaign is being coordinated by the right-wing pressure group Great British PAC, led by Conservative activist Claire Bullivant and Ben Habib, a former deputy leader of the Reform UK party.
The Parthenon Marbles, originally part of a frieze that decorated the ancient Parthenon temple at the Acropolis in Athens, were removed on the orders of Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, in the early 19th century.
These exquisite ancient Greek sculptures depicting gods, heroes and mythical creatures have been housed in the British Museum for centuries, drawing millions of visitors annually.
Greece’s efforts for their return date back to 1982, when Culture Minister Melina Mercouri made an appeal at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies in Mexico.
Since then, the country has repeatedly called for their return, arguing they were removed without proper consent and should be reunited with the remaining sculptures in Athens.
