Will Labour return the Elgin Marbles?

They’ve handed over the Chagos Islands and are up for talking reparations. So what else of Britain’s heritage is Labour prepared to surrender? An obvious case, perhaps, is the Elgin Marbles, whose fate briefly became the subject of a major diplomatic incident involving Rishi Sunak and his Greek counterpart late last year. At PMQs, the-then Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer quipped: ‘Never mind the British Museum, it’s the Prime Minister who has obviously lost his marbles.’

But now he is in office, is this yet another issue on which Starmer is prepared to cede ground? Word reaches Mr S from Athens where the best-selling Greek newspaper seems very excited about the Marbles’ fate. In a breathless exclusive, Ta Nea reported earlier month that Starmer’s government is about to change its position. ‘UK Culture Secretary “Keen to Talk” with Greece to Resolve Parthenon Marbles Dispute’, screamed the headline. The article, filed by Ta Nea’s London correspondent, cites quotes from Nandy claiming that the UK is eager to work with the Greek government to resolve the long-standing cultural dispute.

‘We’re very keen to talk to our counterparts in Greece and to work with you to find a resolution to what has been a very long-running dispute,’ Nandy said when asked if the new Labour government will approach the Parthenon Marbles issue differently from the previous Conservative government.