November is one of those long months, almost at the end of yet another year. It certainly has caused plenty of media frenzy in past years, and this year seems to be no exception.
Our own enthusiasm with regards to the dialogue that has been ongoing between Greece and the UK on the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles was resting on 'British fair play', and Greece's magnanimous gesture of more Greek artefacts not seen outside of Greece to be exhibited at the British Museum, a gesture made over 23 years ago and repeated ever since.
There was concern for George Osborne's suggestion of a 'Parthenon Partnership', exchanges of cultural artefacts with rotating loans that would enable the British Museum to continue to hang onto the sculptures already in Room 18. This 'new' British Museum vision, falling short on the call to reunify the surviving Parthenon Marbles, in the Acropolis Museum.
This weekend's interview between Laura Kuenssberg and PM Mitsotakis, followed more coverage on Monday, and the cancellation of the meeting with PM Sunak. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised but what is more of an affront was that PM Sunak suggested PM Mitsotakis meet with Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister.
Many of you will remember that for 19 months from Feb 2020 to Sept 2021, Mr Dowden was also Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. There have been so many in that specific post during these past 13 years, that one could be forgiven for not remembering.
The Times interviewed Mr Dowden in March 2021: "Dowden said that while he loved the Benin Bronzes, he had “never related that much to the Parthenon Sculptures". He added: “Would they have survived the Nazis rampaging through Athens during World War II. It is a slightly trite argument but there is a truth. Would the Benin Bronzes have survived various international conflicts?”
Needless to say some of our members took to what was then twitter to express their disappointment at Oliver Dowden's comments.
PM Sunak's decision to cancel his meeting with PM Mitsotakis today, Tuesday 28 November, was made late in the day, and the suggestion that the meeting could take place with Oliver Dowden, a person that two years ago was unaware of how the Greeks safeguarded their artefacts during WWII, was not going to make PM Mitsotakis any happier.
Maggie Dietz's 'November' poem begins with 'Show's over, folks', and the media's coverage of PM Mitsotakis London visit this November simply highlights the regressive stance of the UK with regards to the reunification of the Parthenon Marbles. For now we will continue to hang onto Janet Suzman, our Chair's words: la luta continua.
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