No 10 vetoes Mary Beard as museum trustee ‘over pro-Europe views’

Classicist Mary Beard has been rejected as a trustee of the British Museum, allegedly for expressing pro-Europe views.

No. 10 did not support Beard's appointment – a rare rejection of a proposed trustee and an aberration from the usual 'arms-length' relationship between the government and museum. The Guardian reports the museum now plans to make Beard one of five trustees it can appoint without Downing Street's approval.

An unnamed former British Museum board member said the decision was "more about political correctness than respected classical scholarship".

Beard has often shared her pro-Remain views on social media, although she would not be the only member of the museum's board to do so. Grayson Perry, on the board since 2015, has expressed support for the Labour party and Remain.