Return or Retain? The Parthenon Marbles Debate, with Ed Vaizey and Noel Malcolm

For almost 40 years, the Parthenon Marbles, or Elgin Marbles as they are also known, have been at the centre of the great restitution debate. Taken from Greece in contested circumstances by Lord Elgin in the 19th century, the marble sculptures that were part of the Parthenon and other structures on the Acropolis are housed in the British Museum. UK law prevents the museum from giving away objects in its collection, but the organisation’s chair, former chancellor George Osborne, is said to be in talks to loan the statues to Greece long term in exchange for other ancient artworks. So should the marbles go back? Joining us to debate the issue are Ed Vaizey, former UK Government Culture and Digital Minister from 2010-16, who writes and broadcasts regularly on politics and culture, and Sir Noel Malcolm, Senior Research Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Chair for this debate is Manveen Rana, senior investigative journalist and host of The Times and Sunday Times' flagship podcast Stories of Our Times. If you’d like to hear the extended version of this conversation while supporting Intelligence Squared's mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as being able to enjoy exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit: https://www.intelligencesquared.com/membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices