‘F*** You B******!’: Greek newspaper launches vile expletive-laden attack on Rishi Sunak amid the Elgin Marbles row – as PM says Athens will have to accept British Museum owns the artefacts for George Osborne’s loan plan to happen

A Greek newspaper has launched a vile expletive-laden attack on Rishi Sunak amid the latest row over the Elgin Marbles between Athens and London.

In a front-page headline being widely shared on social media, the Eleftheri Ora newspaper declared ‘F*** You B******’ next to a picture of the Prime Minister.

Labour crowed the ’embarrassing headlines’ had been generated by Mr Sunak’s ‘hissy fit’ when he cancelled a planned meeting with his Greek counterpart this week.

But Mr Sunak denied claims of ‘petulance’ and stressed any deal to loan the Elgin Marbles back to Athens must come with Greek acceptance that Britain is the legal owner.

In a warning to ex-Tory chancellor George Osborne, now chairman of the British Museum’s board of trustees, the PM said: ‘Our view and our position on that is crystal clear: the marbles were acquired legally at the time.’

In a front-page headline being widely shared on social media, the Eleftheri Ora newspaper declared ‘F*** You B******’ next to a picture of the Prime Minister

Rishi Sunak stressed any deal to loan the Elgin Marbles back to Athens must come with Greek acceptance that Britain is the legal owner

Lord Elgin removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the ruins of the Parthenon between 1801 and 1805, before they entered the British Museum

Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy claimed the ’embarrassing headlines’ had been generated by the PM’s ‘hissy fit’ when he cancelled planned talks with his Greek counterpart 

What are the Elgin Marbles? 

The Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon sculptures, were made between 447BC and 432BC.

They decorated the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens.

Lord Elgin removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the ruins of the Parthenon between 1801 and 1805, before they entered the British Museum.

These have since been the subject of a 200-year-old dispute over ownership between Athens and London.

Of the 50 per cent of the original sculptures that survive, about half are in the British Museum and half in the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

An exhibition in the Greek capital combines the original marble sculptures with plaster copies of those held in London.

Eleftheri Ora, which translates as ‘Free Time’, is known to be a provocative newspaper and has been accused of promoting far-right, anti-Semitic and homophobic views.

Alongside an image of the newspaper’s front page on Wednesday about Mr Sunak, Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy posted on Twitter: ‘Rishi Sunak threw a hissy fit and ended up generating embarrassing headlines like this. It’s time for change.’

Mr Lammy also noted how Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer held talks with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in London this week, despite Mr Sunak having cancelled his own planned meeting.

But Mr Sunak today denied his refusal to meet the Greek PM following a row over the Elgin Marbles was a ‘hissy fit’.

Mr Osborne accused the PM of ‘petulance’ for cancelling the meeting and said it would not prevent a deal to return the artefacts to Athens.

But Mr Sunak denied the claims and said that a loan could only happen if the Greeks accepted that the UK was the legal owner of the relics, which are also known as the Parthenon sculptures.

Asked about Mr Osborne’s comments, Mr Sunak told reporters that he had not had a hissy fit, adding: ‘When it comes to [the marbles] our position is very clear as a matter of law that the marbles can’t be returned and we’ve been unequivocal about that.

‘And I think the British Museum’s website itself says that in order for the loans to happen the recipient needs to acknowledge the lawful ownership of the country that’s lending the things and I think the Greeks have not suggested that they are in any way shape or form willing to do that.

‘Our view and our position on that is crystal clear: the marbles were acquired legally at the time.’

Mr Sunak dramatically cancelled a bilateral meeting with Mr Mitsotakis on Tuesday, which triggered a diplomatic spat between Athens and London.

The PM said the Greek premier went back on his promise not to publicly raise the issue of the Elgin Marbles during his visit to London.

It came after Mr Mitsotakis used a BBC interview on Sunday to claim keeping the 2,500-year-old sculptures in London was akin to cutting the Mona Lisa painting in half.

Mr Osborne, commenting on Mr Sunak’s actions, said on his Political Currency podcast: ‘Is it just petulance? Is it just having a bit of a hissy fit?

‘And, I think if that’s the reason, it’s not because Mitsotakis was going to raise the Elgin Marbles. It’s because he had met [Labour leader] Keir Starmer the day before.’

Mr Osborne added that Mr Sunak’s actions may have been driven by his frustration at being behind in the polls and said the power was ‘draining away’ from No10.

He added the British Museum had been exploring a deal ‘whereby they spend part of their time in Athens and part of their time in London — and we have Greek treasures coming our way in return. And that is, I think, something worth exploring.’

He said of the diplomatic spat: ‘To my mind as chair of the British Museum it is all the more reason to press on with our efforts to try and reach an agreement with the Greeks.’

Mr Osborne — who was Conservative chancellor from 2010-2016 — insisted the diplomatic feud would not stop talks over the future of the marbles.

The sculptures were removed from Athens by diplomat Lord Elgin in the 19th century and have been displayed in the British Museum ever since.

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