Following the decision of No. 10 to block Professor Dame Mary Beard from a position on the board of the British Museum, the cultural institution has appointed her regardless.
No. 10’s decision marks the first in a number of years that has not supported the museum’s proposed list of candidates.
According to Whitehall sources, Beard was rejected due to her pro-Remain views which she frequently voices on social media platforms.
The decision to reject Beard on grounds of her pro-European sentiments contradicts Grayson Perry’s, who is anti-Brexit and pro-Labour, position on the board.
A former board member who chose to remain anonymous said that the government’s “decision to reject her is more about political correctness than respected classical scholarship.”
In line with the museum’s constitution, the museum can select five of the museum’s 25 trustees without the approval of Downing Street.
While the government provides the museum with £40 million of funding each year, the selection of directors, general running and exhibitions all fall under the jurisdiction of the museum’s overall board.
Of her appointment, Beard said: “It was a visit to the BM which first inspired me to work on the ancient world.
“I have been a huge beneficiary of this and other museums in the country over the past 60 years and am now delighted to be able to give something back.”
A No. 10 source said that: “the current administration is delighted to see Mary Beard appointed and has no reservations over her appointment, which should have happened sooner”.
The Cambridge Don’s tenure begins today and will last for four years.
