British Museum thefts: George Osborne apologises and attributes blame to 'collective mentality'

Home > Industry Analysis > Content

【Summary】Former chancellor George Osborne has apologized for the thefts of artefacts from the British Museum, blaming "groupthink" for the lack of action. He admitted that as many as 2,000 items may have been stolen, but some have been recovered. The museum's director resigned and his deputy stepped back from duties due to their failure to uncover the thefts despite warnings. Efforts are now being made to recover the stolen items.

FutureCar Staff Aug 26, 2023 10:29 AM PT

British Museum thefts: George Osborne apologises and attributes blame to 'collective mentality'

Former chancellor George Osborne has issued an apology to the nation and attributed the scandal of stolen artefacts from the British Museum to "groupthink." According to Mr Osborne, some of the stolen items have been recovered, but he acknowledged that as many as 2,000 may have been taken from the museum's vaults.

Mr Osborne blamed the museum's senior management for their refusal to acknowledge the extent of the scandal until now, citing "groupthink" as the reason. He stated, "On behalf of the British Museum, I want to apologize for what has occurred. We believe that thefts have been taking place over a significant period, and frankly, more could have been done to prevent them. But I assure you that we are committed to resolving this issue. I can confirm that we have already begun recovering some of the stolen items."

Following the revelations, the director of the British Museum, Hartwig Fischer, resigned, and his deputy has "stepped back" from their responsibilities due to their failure to uncover the thefts despite repeated warnings from whistleblowers.