Letters: What to do with the Elgin Marbles

Sir: Noel Malcolm’s article ‘Relief fund’ (22 October) rightly suggests that legislators should consider the issue of the Parthenon sculptures seriously. Yet the article does little in the way of advancing a meaningful solution. What makes The Parthenon Project unique and not just ‘the latest in a sequence’ is that it offers a real, viable way of breaking the impasse on a centuries-old debate. Its proposal of a win-win solution involving the return of the sculptures to Athens and the establishment of a rotating exhibition of Greek artefacts in London is new but already changing minds – including my own.

A positive, collaborative solution would also say a lot about modern Britain – demonstrating that we can approach complex issues about our history with maturity and confidence in our own national identity. I strongly believe that shifting public attitudes must be taken into account. As a democratic country, should the British public not have a say about what we hold in our collections? It is also wrong to suggest that the debate about the Parthenon sculptures is just ‘being presented as a political problem’ – it fundamentally is a political problem. Without amendments to the British Museum Act of 1963, the British Museum trustees have no power to carefully consider proposals for reunification. And for that to happen, our MPs need to be made aware of the problem, and to then act.

Much of the conversation about the sculptures is rooted in their history. Of course context is important, but I believe we are unlikely to find a solution for the future if we keep looking to the past. It is too ambiguous, with conflicting recollections surrounding acquisition and ownership. The solution will not be found there.

Lord Vaizey, former culture minister and Parthenon Project chair

London W12