British Museum’s BP sponsorship deal ‘astonishingly out of touch’

The museum has for years been a place of noisy and disruptive protests over BP’s sponsorship, and these appear likely to continue. Photograph: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

Campaigners have called the British Museum “astonishingly out of touch” after it announced a 10-year, £50m partnership with BP to help fund one of the biggest redevelopments in its history.

The museum announced on Tuesday that the energy company would be helping to fund its ambitious “masterplan” project, a redevelopment estimated to cost £1bn.