Mary Beard blocked by No 10 as British Museum trustee 'for pro-Europe views'

Classicist's pro-Remain stance led to Downing Street 'veto' - but a trustee place is now to be offered regardless She is Britain's best known classicist, a Cambridge don with formidable intellect and a knack for getting people interested in all things ancient. That combination of passionate erudition and accessibility would, you might think, make Mary Beard a shoo-in for the board of the country's most prestigious historical institution.