Opinion piece argues British Museum should return Parthenon marbles to Greece

In a Guardian opinion column, writer Simon Jenkins argues that the British Museum should return the Parthenon marbles to Greece, drawing a comparison with the Bayeux tapestry, which Britain is not being asked to give up.

Jenkins contrasts the two cases to make his point: unlike the marbles, the Bayeux tapestry was likely made in Canterbury by British women and depicts a pivotal episode in British history, yet it remains on display in Britain rather than France. He writes that returning the tapestry to France would be a scandal, a scenario he says is not actually happening, but which he uses to illustrate what he considers an inconsistency in Britain's position on cultural objects originating elsewhere.

Echoing calls from Greece

Jenkins references recent comments from Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who argued in a Guardian article last month that the Bayeux tapestry and the Parthenon marbles share a similar status: both were conceived as single works meant to be seen and understood as a whole, and therefore, in his view, both make the case for reunification with their original context.

Jenkins concludes that the Elgin, or Parthenon, marbles, long housed in the British Museum, should be returned to Athens, framing their continued retention as inconsistent with how Britain would react if a similarly significant British-linked object were sought by another country.

The piece is a comment article reflecting the author's own view rather than a Guardian editorial position.