Former Prime Minister Tony Blair reportedly supported the idea of returning the Elgin Marbles to Greece in a strategic move to boost London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, according to papers released by the National Archives.
Blair's advisers saw the ancient statues as a "powerful bargaining chip," and he suggested that a peer, Lord Owen, could be entrusted to negotiate a sharing agreement with Greece.
The plan, which Lord Owen put forward, aimed to secure Greek support for London's bid in exchange for an agreement on the Marbles. However, the British Museum expressed concerns about Greece adhering to the deal, fearing the sculptures might not return to London. The newly-released documents reveal Blair's support for the potential deal, but it did not materialize, and the Elgin Marbles remain a point of contention between the UK and Greece.
