Secret discussions have taken place between George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, and Greece's prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the contested sculptures.

George Osborne, chairman of the British Museum, confirmed it is looking at a deal that would see some of the sculptures returned to Athens in exchange for Greek treasures being displayed in London

Prime Minister Keir Starmer signaled to his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis that the UK government wouldn’t block a potential deal to hand back the Parthenon sculptures, people familiar with the matter said.