 1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
© Copyright Embassy of Greece 1996-2005. All Rights Reserved.
Usage of this site constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy.
|
26 September, 1998
If there were a referendum on whether or not the Parthenon Marbles should be returned to Greece or remain at the British Museum, the British public would vote for return, by a margin of more than two to one, according to a new MORI poll carried our for Regent Productions.
The poll is part of preliminary work being carried out by journalist William G. Stewart for yet another television program on the return of the Parthenon Marbles, to be screened next year. Among Labour supporters, the margin was more than three to one and even among Tories, three to two .
Among members of Britain's Parliament interviewed in July by MORI, by nearly two to one Labour MPs said that in the event of a free vote in the House of Commons on whether or not the so-called Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece, they would vote to return them.
The detailed figures are as follows:
Among the general public, when asked "If there was a referendum on whether or not the Elgin Marbles should be returned to Greece, how would you vote?", 39 per cent said they would vote to return them to Greece, 15 per cent that they should remain in the British Museum and 18 per cent said they would not vote. More than one person in four (28 per cent) said they did now know what they would vote. Support for their return was strongest among women (40 per cent to 13 per cent), middle-aged people (44 per cent to 12 per cent) and among Labour Party supporters (42 per cent to 13 per cent).
A plurality of MPs polled favored their return to Greece by 47 per cent to 44 per cent. Among Labour members of Parliament, 57 per cent to 33 per cent, among Tories 9 per cent to 83 per cent.
Fifteen per cent of the British adult population recall having seen the marbles in the British Museum. Among adults with a degree or post-graduate qualification, a majority, 52 per cent, said they would vote to return them to Greece and only one in five (20 per cent) said they should remain in the British Museum.
The surveys were conducted exclusively for Regent Productions among the general public, 1,823 of adults aged over 15 were interviewed on the MORI Omnibus between Sept. 4-7, 1998 in 151 constituency sampling points nationwide. Interviews were carried out face-to-face. Among members of Parliament, 91 MPs were interviewed between June 1, 1998 and August 3, 1998, face-to-face in their offices.
The thrust of the Regent Productions program is that the Labour Party in opposition and the Labour government in power have got themselves in a mess on the question of the return of the Elgin Marbles to Athens.
In 1994 in the House of Commons (Hansard 14th February 1994) and in a Channel 4 program in 1996, Mark Fisher, then shadow arts minister, committed a Labour government to re-joining UNESCO and working out "the orderly return of the Elgin Marbles."
Following a statement from Tony Blair's office to the effect that the marbles would stay in Britain, Mr. Stewart wrote to three former shadow heritage secretaries, Jack Cunningham, Mo Mowlam and Chris Smith, asking for details of when the official policy changed. And who changed it. Were meetings held? Are there any minutes? No answers have been forthcoming.
Since Chris Smith became Culture Secretary he has told Mr. Stewart that he cannot comment on anything decided while Jack Cunningham was shadowing Heritage; but he has said that while in opposition the Labour Party considered the matter of the return of the marbles. It did so without involving the shadow arts minister.
Mr. Smith has also told Mr. Stewart that "discussions on the issue of the Parthenon sculptures will take place when appropriate and in the appropriate place." Regent's program will seek to discover when and where is appropriate.
Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos was encouraged on hearing of the results of the poll conducted by the MORI company on the return of the Parthenon marbles to Greece.
"The results are impressive and vindicate to claim for the return formulated by Greece in the name of the world cultural heritage. I am certain that this clear message will be understood by the Blair government, since we are on the dawn of the 3rd millenium and we are approaching 2004.
"I also believe that the option is being vindicated of focusing our interest inside British public life, with the main lever being the British committee for the return of the Parthenon Marbles. British society appears to be understanding simple historic truths and basic cultural necessities," he said.
Source: Athens News Agency
^
top
|
|
print this page
send this page