28 November 2023 , 09:39
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“Weak” Rishi Sunak was blasted today for snubbing the Greek Prime Minister in the latest spat over the 2,500-year-old Elgin Marbles.
The British PM was due to hold talks in No10 with his Hellenic counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. But Downing Street cancelled the meeting amid fears the Greek leader would break a supposed pledge not to bring up the long-running row over the artefacts, which Athens calls the Parthenon Sculptures.
A Labour spokesman said: “To pick a fight with a NATO ally for the sake of a headline shows just how weak Rishi Sunak is. The Prime Minister should have been talking about the economy, immigration, the Middle East - that’s what the country would expect from a leader but Rishi Sunak is no leader.”
The diplomatic spat came after Mr Mitsotakis used an interview ahead of the anticipated talks to push for the return of the Elgin Marbles, saying the current situation was like the Mona Lisa painting being cut in half.
Athens has long demanded the return of the historic works which were removed from Greece by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. They are currently housed at the British Museum.
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In a statement, a spokesman for Mr Mitsotakis said: "The Prime Minister is disappointed that Prime Minister Sunak cancelled their bilateral meeting at the 11th hour today. Greece and Britain have a very deep history of friendship and co-operation, and the Greek government is extremely surprised by this decision. The Prime Minister was looking forward to discussing a range of topics of mutual interest including the Israel/Gaza conflict, Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, climate change, as well as common challenges such as migration, and of course the Parthenon Sculptures."
Mr Mitsotakis, in a statement published on X, formerly Twitter, spoke of his "dismay" the meeting had been cancelled "just hours before it was due to take place". According to an online translation, he said: "Anyone who believes in the correctness and justice of their positions is never afraid of opposing arguments."
Shadow Policing Minister Alex Norris told Sky News: "It seems a bit unnecessary, I think, for our Government to be acting in that way." Asked about claims the meeting was scrapped because Mr Mitsotakis met Keir Starmer before he was due to meet the OM, Mr Norris said: "If that's the reason for it, then it's extraordinary.
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"I mean, I thought the logic that we heard overnight that the Prime Minister didn't want to discuss that topic, I thought that was pretty thin. If it's about that, then I'd be very surprised indeed. Ultimately, Greece is a huge, important strategic ally of ours on the issue of migration, which of course Rishi Sunak talks about every day. Similarly on the economy, cultural issues, with lots of Greek people who live in this country and vice versa. So, of course he should be meeting with the Prime Minister when he's in this country. I'm very, very surprised that he hasn't."
A Cabinet Minister said the Greeks were offered a meeting with Rishi Sunak’s number two Oliver Dowden instead. "The Deputy Prime Minister offered to meet the Greek Prime Minister today and it proved not possible to make that happen. That's a matter of regret; that offer was made,” Transport Secretary Mark Harper told BBC Breakfast. "But the Government set out its position about the Elgin Marbles very clearly, which is they should stay as part of the permanent collection of the British Museum." Asked whether it amounted to a snub by Mr Sunak, Mr Harper said: "I've set out the position. I can keep repeating it."
The PM’s spokesman was forced to deny Mr Sunak was “thin skinned” - and said it would "not be productive" to hold a meeting with the Greek leader after a promise not to use the visit to focus on the Marbles was "not adhered to".
"We understand and have heard on a number of occasions Greece's position on the Marbles,” said the spokesman. "They are welcome and able to make those positions known to us in private, as they have done before. It is our view that for far too long constant attempts to relitigate in public the long-settled issue of the ownership of the Marbles has cast a shadow over an otherwise productive relationship with Greece and that those conversations are best had in private.
"Those were the assurances that were provided to us in advance of this meeting. Those assurances were not adhered to and you saw the subsequent action that was taken." Downing Street confirmed it had sought assurances ahead of the trip this week after it felt previous Greek premiers used UK visits as a "public platform" to press for the return of the Marbles.