The UK’s secretary of state for culture, Lisa Nandy, has said that the government is in discussions with national museums about the repatriation of certain objects.
In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Nandy said that ministers are already holding discussions with institutions including the British Museum, after its chair, the former chancellor George Osborne, approached her. There are different views across the museum sector, but Nandy wants the government’s approach to be consistent, says the report.
Conversations surrounding restitution previously gained political traction in 2022, when the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Tristram Hunt, said that legislation which prevents UK national museums from disposing of works should be re-evaluated.
Responding to news that ministers are now exploring the repatriation of precious objects, Hunt told The Art Newspaper: “It is very encouraging to learn that the culture secretary is supportive of repatriation reform and updating the legislation that prevents national museums from deaccessioning objects in…
